Turn that "+" 45 degrees...now what do you have? Perhaps it should be refered to as a "cross", not an "X", but I think the point comes across either way. When I record in an XY pattern, I space the capsules at a 90 degree angle with one on top of the other as close to each other as possible without touching. I don't do much field recording these days, but this pattern works great as a stereo overhead on a drum kit. BTW, the term "engineer" is a rather loose term....it can mean a lot of things. Anyone can refer to themself as an audio engineer since there is no governing standard to be one, or test to become one. I refer to myself as an Audio Engineer, but aside from my saying so, there isn't really a way for me to prove it. I do have a certificate from a recording institute, and a now expired membership to AES, but neither of those things make me any more of an audio engineer than anyone else.