I just sent the following note to all my audio friends and clients. I thought it might be of interest here (also possibly in the beginners circle)
To All my Clients and Friends,
While in listening to music, we often feel the goal is to reproduce what the event sounded like when it was recorded. To this end, it is helpful to know just where "on stage", and or in the soundfield, the performers were originally.
With contemporary groups this might be impossible unless the liner notes show pictures of the stage positions, but with a symphony orchestra there is a general layout which is occasionally deviated from, but the general layout is always the same.
In setting up your system, it is best to know where the violins, french horns, bassoons, cellos and such are placed and attempt to recreate this "sonic hologram" in such a way as to reproduce the original event.
My RM40s are set up in this manner and the resulting soundstage presentation is an incredible experience.
The depth and width (and even height) are all there and I am transported to the original hall and sit "virtually" 5th row center.
To that end, I thought you might find this URL and its simple Symphony Orchestra Layout useful.
If you can, print this diagram out and have it with you during the listening session. Look at the diagram and close your eyes and listen to see if your set up "does" put everything in the right spot on the soundstage. (if you wear glasses take them off since they skew audio sensation and actually are subject to airborne vibration and thus block that from the face and create tactile sensations that can interfere with perception)
Here is the URL for a basic Symphony Orchestra
http://isu.indstate.edu/gbechen/%20orchlayouts/orchlay.gif Do be aware that each orchestra may change this slightly. For example the tympanis and percussion may be more in the center than to the sides. Soloists, (like pianists or violinists) may be located just to the left of the conductor but almost centered and so on.
Some recordings reproduce this layout with astonishing reality and some are horrible. When you find the good ones, they quickly become your favorites.
These "good" recordings are very valuable in speaker set up and the idea would be to move your speakers the proper width and distance from the side walls to recreate the left to right soundstage, and forward and backward, to create the proper depth and 3-D effect.
Moving your seating position in relation to the speaker width, can also move you forward or backward in the hall
Hope you find this useful
