first recording with "NEVATON-BPT" (3-capsule condenser mic) with orchestra + choir + vocal soloists

[PREAMBLE: this documentary recording is presented first in a binaural version [better for headphone reproduction] and after a 'graphics only' section (with info on the sound-source and BPT position in the hall) of 1:40 length, the same audio-examples are repeated in the original recording format (starting at 6:00) ]

This recording with the NEVATON-BPT took place in January 2015. It is the first recording in which all three capsules of the BPT are mounted in one housing, as opposed to previous recordings for which the BPT-mic was made up of three independent microphones put together in a more ‘hybrid’ manner.

The „Blumlein-Pfanzagl-Triple“ (BPT) microphone is a 3-capsule construction that adds a third, forward facing figure-of-8 capsule to the well-known „Blumlein-Pair“ configuration of two fig-8 capsules, which are crossed at +/- 45 degree. The advantage of this is the enhanced sound source center-stability and localization accuracy, a more even distribution of the sound source which does not tend to focus around the (two stereo) replay loudspeakers, as can sometimes be found when using just the traditional „Blumlein-Pair“. In addition, it is possible to ‚feature‘ soloists - or other sound sources present on the main axis of the „center“ fig-8 microphone - level-wise, as can be heard on the soundtrack of this video clip: In the excerpt with vocal soloists the sound-track alternates a "Blumlein-Pair" stereo-mix with a "Blumlein-Pfanzagl-Triple" mix, with the center capsule (fig-8) signal mixed in at a level of 0dB(rel); i.e. the same level as the L and R channel signal.

While the singers are too weak in level with the "Blumlein-Pair", the center fig-8 mic of the BPT microphone gives the sound-.engineer the possibility to "crank up" their level, a bit like "zooming in" with an optical tele-lens of a camera. This is an important feature, especially if text intelligibility is an issue in a recording.

In the current recording, when the center fig-8 signal is being mixed in at 0dB, the vocal soloists are almost too loud to my taste (the balance with the orchestra might have been better at -2 to -3dB) but I simply wanted to show which enhancements are possible with the BPT-microphone.

[A practical note: adding the BPT's center signal with -10dB emphasizes the middle of the sound-source by only 1dB. In most situations (depending on the room acoustics as well as the sound-source) the overall mix usually works best if the center-signal gets mixed in at about -6 to -3dB relative to the L and R mic signal.]

For the current recording the BPT was positioned on the floor, approx. middle of the 3rd row, and the distance to the nearest musical sound-source was 21 meters (the vocal soloists). The double-basses (on the extreme right) were 25m away and the strings to the extreme left at a distance of almost 30 meters.

Given the fact that the medium reverb time of this venue is around 2sec, it is amazing that it was still possible to have a decent (to me: very good and quite natural sounding) direct/reverb signal-ratio at the position of the BPT. This can certainly be attributed both to the use of the absorptive panel behind the BPT, which - together with the "acoustic hood" on top - manages to keep away the rear 'half hemisphere' of diffuse sound from being picked up by the rear lobes of the fig-8 microphones, as well as the absorptive quality of the sand, with which the stage area had been covered, in order to render it suitable for horse-riding. '

Nevertheless - at a distance of 20m, in a hall with roughly 1500 seats - it seems almost unbelievable that the direct/diffuse-sound ration can be such a healthy one. During the finale of the choir-part (part 3 of the excerpt) the trumpets are being picked up in such a dry fashion, that it becomes clear that - at least for those instruments - the BPT is still well within the "critical distance" (reverberation radius) heard at the BPT's position in the hall.
Throughout the music excerpts it is also nice to hear the very authentic impression of stage-depth, which the BPT arrangement is able to provide: while the musical ensemble is sonically pictured at a certain distance, the horses in front of it – galloping along the stage – are depicted (via the BPT-mic) to be much closer the listener …

I hope that the sound-examples provided in the video-clip are able to show clearly that the BPT can be a very versatile and flexible tool in the hands of sound-engineers and Tonmeisters.

(Rem.: the BINAURAL version of this soundtrack - which is best suited for listening via headphones - has been created with use of the "Pano 5" software-plugin by company Waveart. The binaural rendering of the plugin is based on the HRTFs of the KEMAR artificial head.)

NATURAL PERSPECTIVE RECORDING No 2:
BPT vs TV-Mix THAMOS : [ Ссылка ]

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