disappearing act

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
This is something I've never been able to get my head around.

How can two horizontally positioned (for the sake of simplicity) point sources give the impression of height?

Tried the tests from SpeakerDave.
Seems I can get the piano to leave the left speaker, but the sibilance of the vocalist quickly shows exactly where the speakers are. Wait, tried the same track (dry less spread) again, eyes closed. Sound does come from the centre. System linked below.

Chris
 
So its probably all in my head. That'd explain it. Cheers

Yes, there are ~3 different mechanisms involved
1. The Pinnae effect.
2 The localization due to spectral BW. and
3. The Cultural (learning and age) depending effect (Hear is what you see),

Pictures: 1-3....

b :)
 

Attachments

  • V-H-blur.JPG
    V-H-blur.JPG
    376.6 KB · Views: 154
  • V-H_blur_Directional Bands.JPG
    V-H_blur_Directional Bands.JPG
    151.3 KB · Views: 146
  • Heariswhatusee.GIF
    Heariswhatusee.GIF
    133.6 KB · Views: 150
Just another Moderator
Joined 2003
Paid Member
I've just tried the tests. Now can I remember what I heard ;)

dry was quite obviously piano hard left and vocalist hard right, though it didn't give me the impression it was coming from the speakers, more to the left and to the right of the speakers.
wet still sounded hard left and hard right but the vocalist sounded like she was in the bathroom ;) The piano actually sounded wider in space.

multitap sounded quite similar to dry, piano had a bit more 3dimentionality than dry though, vocals sounded a little strange.

dry less spread definitely sounds the most natural with the vocalist starting off a bit to the right of central but seemingly moving to centre. The piano is to the left of centre but the higher notes seem to start to overlap with the singers position.

morewet is just weird. I picture he singer as leaning in at 45 degrees from the right in towards the centre of the room ;) piano is quite to the left.

Tony.
 
multitap sounded quite similar to dry, piano had a bit more 3dimentionality than dry though, vocals sounded a little strange.
This is a two tap delay line so it will add coloration to the voice i.e. the measurable frequency response would be messed up, unlike a diffuse space with tons of small echoes. It was interesting to me that even this rudimentary acoustic space made headphone listening less uncomfortable.

dry less spread definitely sounds the most natural with the vocalist starting off a bit to the right of central but seemingly moving to centre. The piano is to the left of centre but the higher notes seem to start to overlap with the singers position.

morewet is just weird. I picture he singer as leaning in at 45 degrees from the right in towards the centre of the room ;) piano is quite to the left.

Tony.

Also interesting that many are quoting different spatial perspectives for the two instruments. The recordings are symmetrical: they start with a hard left/hard right musician and the panning I did to slightly diminish the spread was balanced. I notice the same: the piano is always seems farther away.

David
 
Just another Moderator
Joined 2003
Paid Member
Anyone prepared to try?

I'd like to share my findings from listening to Dire Straits "Tunnel of love" from the "Money for nothing" album. There are alternative mixes of "Tunnel of love" with a different channel distribution - so you need "Money for nothing" - or this you tube video.
With my headphones (Sennheiser HD 433) this track is not spectacular. I found it leaning somewhat to the right channel, but nothing special.

Listening to this song with my speakers, the left one seemed to be dead. There was nothing to be heard outside of 15° left from the listening axis (speaker is at ~30°). The right speaker was playing all the time. Innocent listeners, who don't know how both speakers are necessary to project a center phantom image, would have believed the left speaker to be disconnected. Only 6:26 min into the song finally an acoustic guitar starts in the direction of the left speaker.

Hi Rudolf, I listened to the youtube video just now and my experience (on my speakers) was pretty much as you described it for your headphones except in reverse :confused:. I got the sense that the soundstage was shifted to the left somewhat but other than that I didn't get the feeling that the right speaker was dead. When you talk left and right do you mean your left when facing the speakers or looking away from the speakers.?

Tony.
 
Just another Moderator
Joined 2003
Paid Member
haha Dave :) all frames of reference, I think of the left speaker being the one on MY left when I'm sitting looking at them, but I guess technically it is really the right. Luckily I also hook up the amp channels using the same logic ;)

Oh and that simpsons episode is bogus, The toilets here don't swirl in either direction! The water does go down the plughole in the bath in an anti clockwise direction from memory.
 
Hi Elias,
since yours is not the common stereo triangle (60° spread): how far apart were the singer and the piano in your constellation - measured as angle from listening position?

Rudolf


Actually this is quite interesting ! The spread depends somewhat on the room width and the listening distance. In my 25 m2 room at 3 m distance I get something like 80 degrees spread in the dry sample. If I move closer to about 2 m distance I get about 120 degrees spread. Also, if moving further than 3 m spread narrows, naturally.

And, with the center panned samples no hole in the middle ! (Because there is a speaker there :D) So I can say with SSSx5 it is possible to span 120 degrees without imaging problems ! :cool:


- Elias
 
Last edited:
As requested by rudolf I listened it on my speakers and not the headphone.

For al piano left , and female singer right.

1 Mozart dry: sound right in front of the horn-mouth center.
2 Mozart wed : sound moves up above the horn and a bit behind the loudspeaker and the singer and piano are moved from the center of the horn exit above behind it and a bit more to the center.

3 Mozart multitap : the sound is more around the horn. But still central to the horn.

4 Mozart more wet: sounds like from it comes out of a tunnel or huge empty and reflecting room like a empty church building.
 
Last edited:
As requested by rudolf I listened it on my speakers and not the headphone.

For al piano left , and female singer right.

1 Mozart dry: sound right in front of the horn-mouth center.
2 Mozart wed : sound moves up above the horn and a bit behind the loudspeaker and the singer and piano are moved from the center of the horn exit above behind it and a bit more to the center.

3 Mozart multitap : the sound is more around the horn. But still central to the horn.

4 Mozart more wet: sounds like from it comes out of a tunnel or huge empty and reflecting room like a empty church building.


The question is: Do they disappear ? :)


- Elias
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.