Topic: Is there too wide?

[The Kilted Taper]

Just curious...is there a point, when using Card's, that the mics can be too far apart? What would be considered a good distance?

[jpschust]

well if you get too wide you can lose that perfect match in the center that makes it feel like a true stereo image.  it just feels like there is a center channel missing is the best way i can describe it.

distance will vary based upon venue

[JAH]

Just curious...is there a point, when using Card's, that the mics can be too far apart? What would be considered a good distance?

For CARDS you can run XY, DIN, ORTF, NOS, AB   so a good distance depends on the configuratoin....check out the following for some insight...
http://www.oade.com/Tapers_Section/faq-mic.html
http://www.dpamicrophones.com/
and of course the archive folder on this site.

gfl and just ask there are tons of "experts" here    ....everybody has one.....

peace
jah

[BobW]

Distance between forward-facing pair is 1/3 the distance to stage.
If you angle them, check the specs on oade.com or dpa's microphone university

[dklein]

Distance between forward-facing pair is 1/3 the distance to stage.

what does this mean?  He's using cards...

[BobW]

Distance between forward-facing pair is 1/3 the distance to stage.

what does this mean?  He's using cards...

This is the way it was explained to me, I'm not sure that I know it well enough to teach, but here goes:

Spaced cards or spaced omnis, shouldn't matter if the cards are pointing straight at source. 
It's the time differences as opposed to the time AND level differences of DIN, ORTF, RAI, OLSEN, etc.

Angling a directional mics causes level differences due to distances (angling an omni does nada)
Hence coincident X-Y creates stereo, without spacing.

The physical space between the mics creates the time differences.
Hence Spaced mics create stereo, or their angled stereo effect is enhanced by near-coincident spacing.

Either time or level or both create the spatial effect. For us two-mic'ers, that's the stereo effect.