Topic: Any reason to record Double MS with 4 mics rather than 3?

[notlance]

Is there any advantage in using 4 channels to record a double MS?  That is, having the S channel recorded as 2 cards (or using a mic such as the Nevaton MC404 or the Sennheiser MKH800 Twin) rather than using one figure 8 mic?  Having the S as two channels would allow you to eq  each side differently, or "steer" the MS pattern left or right by adjusting the S mic pattern, but how often would that be useful?  Having a pair of MC404s or MKH800s would make a double MS setup simple, and using two identical mics makes sense sonically, so why not record the "extra" S channel?  Or am I just trying to justify dropping some major money on new mics?

[page]

there are two reasons that i can see using 4 over 3:

1) if you use 4 cards at 90deg; you can combine any two cards for new patterns, invert the opposite card and you get a figure 8, etc. More of an ambisonic's technique then a DMS.

2) If you do the normal DMS setup, but use an extra hyper card or some other pattern, then you can generate surround sound and use that 4th cap as your mid. So midside FL & FR, midside RL & RR, and then the dedicated hypercard for the FC.

Outside of that, I'm not sure what you'd use it for.

[Gutbucket]

No.

You can do both of those things with 3 channels of 'ordinary' double MS.

[John Willett]

No.

You can do both of those things with 3 channels of 'ordinary' double MS.

Agreed