Stereo mic technique simulation

hklworld

New member
Hello everyone,

It's often a difficult task to decide exactly where to place a stereo mic array and how to configure the spacing and angle between the mics in order to capture a desired stereo image in acoustic recording. To support recording engineers and students in this regard, we at the Applied Psychoacoustics Lab (APL) of the University of Huddersfield have developed a free app named "MARRS" for stereo imaging visualisation. It has an object-based GUI which visualises perceived positions of sound sources for a given microphone array configuration. It is an interactive tool where you can select the number of sources up to 32, position them anywhere on a virtual stage (both azimuth and elevation) and set up a preset or customised mic array at certain distance and height. The perceived position for each source in reproduction is visualised interactively as you change the mic configuration and position. MARRS is also an intelligent tool that can automatically configure suitable mic spacing and angle for the user's desired stereo width. This is done in such a way that you can choose a configuration anywhere between 100% coincident and 100% spaced. So MARRS is a useful app for preparing your recording session and also for a sound recording education.

You can download it free from either Apple or Google app store by searching MARRS. Below are the links to the app and a quick start guide and an AES paper that describes the psychoacoustic algorithm used in MARRS.

- Apple iOS: MARRS on the App Store

- Google Android: MARRS - Intelligent Microphone Array Designer App – Android Apps on Google Play

- Quick start guide: An Interactive and Intelligent Tool for Microphone Array Design - University of Huddersfield Repository

- AES paper: AES E-Library >> An Interactive and Intelligent Tool for Microphone Array Design

The current version is only for 2-channel stereo, but future updates will include a 3-channel version and a web-audio version with binaural and room simulation.

Hope you find these useful. Feedbacks are appreciated.

p.s. There are some minor bugs on the current iOS version (graphical issues), but all the main functions still work as intended. No known issue with the Android version so far.

Dr Hyunkook Lee
Leader of the Applied Psychoacoustics Lab
APL - University of Huddersfield
University of Huddersfield
 

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I have to say this looks interesting. Though I don't have anything on the immediate horizon where I'll be using it, I'm going to download the iPhone app, Always happy to have something to check that can provide a second opinion on what I might be thinking about doing!

Thanks for posting.
 
Hey Doc, that looks great! I often rely on experience for my own mic'ing situations but I would love to see how your software lines up with my experience. No pun intended, it would be much easier using this program then calling up my buddy at 3am. I am going to jump all over this. The fact that you have documentation from the AES, which I am a Proud Member, is only icing on the cake! Thanks!
 
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