--- In vocalist-temporary@y..., John Link <johnlink@n...> wrote:
> David Grogan wrote:
>
> >I have noticed (when I have used mics for
> >recording) that the further away I get from the mic, the more the lower
> >frequencies disappear. ... Am I right in my assumption here that
> >there is a problem with this?
>
> Yup! I remember reading that lower frequencies are less directional
> than higher frequencies, which may be part of the problem.
>
> John Link
>
Check out my CDs:
http://www.cdBaby.com/JohnLink2 (John Link Sextet)
http://www.cdBaby.com/JohnLink (John Link Vocal Quintet)
John is correct. This characteristic is what allows companies (like
mine, I work for Bose) produce those speaker systems with separate
bass boxes and the small satellite speakers. What happens is this:
Imagine a body of water with a rock in the middle of it. Now send very
large waves across the water. The rock will barely disrupt the wave.
Now send small, close together waves. There will be a "lee" on the far
side of the rock. This is what happens with your head and sound waves.
Your head casts an "acoustic shadow" for frequencies that are high
enough. So one side sounds "louder" allowing you to pinpoint the
direction. With bass frequencies, the waves are too big for your head
to disrupt so you can't localize the source. That's how we (being
Bose) let you hide that bass box behind the furniture because you
can't tell where the bass is coming from.
So it's not that the sound is less directional (though the shape that
the bass frequency waves make is also more spread out than high
frequencies), a lot of it is that _you_ can't tell where the source
is. Hope this helps or is at least of some interest.
Sarah
|
