Microphone-array and panned recordings obey the same interchannel amplitude and time rules.

Evidence

Soundstages created using stereo microphone arrays obey the same interchannel amplitude and time rules as electronically-panned images. However, because sounds are captured in an acoustical setting, more of the off-axis source sound, and some of the ambiance of the performance venue is collected along with the direct sounds. These different methods are employed, for good reason, in different types of music or styles of recording. Recording a symphony orchestra in a concert hall is done with a microphone array positioned above and at the front of the orchestra, but closely positioned “spot” microphones are often used to enhance specific solo instruments or voices, or those that lack the acoustical output, like a harpsichord, or to allow the enhancement of certain sections of the orchestra. Later, in the control room, the sounds from spot microphone pickups can be panned to the appropriate location in the orchestra, delayed to synchronize timing with the rest of the orchestra, and, if necessary, augmented by synthetic reflections to match the natural acoustics of the recording venue. Done well, the trickery is not noticed. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 409

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains how spot microphones are integrated into stereo arrays and that the same IAD/ITD rules govern both approaches.
• ADDENDUM: Supports the ‘Grafting & Growth’ article’s theme only loosely, but more directly relevant: the synthetic augmentation of recorded acoustics parallels invisible crafting — ‘done well, the trickery is not noticed.’