Tue Apr 14, 2015 6:31 pm
This subject opens a bucket of worms as we like to say. Quite some time ago I presented a simple test using a recorded major third with the notes in opposite speakers. By moving the speakers apart and closer together it is simple to demonstrate that the mixing in air vs mixing electronically is not as obvious as one would think. It “depends”. In the simple test it depends on a significant distance between the speakers so that our binaural hearing can compensate and mask away the beats. Try the same test with one ear plugged and note that the result is very different.
I don’t recall that anyone actually tried this test — at least no one confirmed or questioned my observations. Bottom line, don’t expect good results without keeping the speakers separated a bit. This will result in a poorer sound field localization, but improvements may outweigh the problems.
Don’t be surprised if different audio levels fool you. The only fair comparison is an immediate A/B switch between a multi-pair and a single-pair configuration with matched levels. The louder sample will invariably sound better in most A/B tests.
Additionally, a three or five fold increase in amplifier power makes its own impact. Also remember that the big electronic organ vendors who used many, many speakers were compensating in part for monophonic audio samples.
I’d previously pointed out that IMHO there was very little difference between studio speakers and bookshelf speakers. There are good and poor examples of both I’m sure.
When it comes to real life examples of multi channel speakers for the organ I’ve heard one example that was not particularly impressive and another at a Portland church which did a really great job with a couple of dozen Behringer 2031As. I’m impressed enough to want to try my own three pair plus surround pair this summer.
Sadly, most of us don’t get to listen to more than a handful of these speaker schemes, so the reports remain largely anecdotal and sometimes even humorous such as the suggestion (somewhere) that a stereo recording could capture the improved sound.
