ORTF stereo technique

Common card · No. 499028

The ORTF stereo technique, also known as side-other-side, is a microphone technique used to record stereo sound. It was devised around 1960 at the now-defunct Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF). This technique combines both the volume difference and the timing difference as sound arrives on- and off-axis at two cardioid microphones spread to a 110° angle, and spaced 17 cm apart. The microphones should be as similar as possible, preferably a frequency-matched pair of an identical type and model. The result is a realistic stereo field that has reasonable compatibility with mono playback. Since the cardioid polar pattern rejects off-axis sound, less of the ambient room characteristic is picked up. This means the mics can be placed further away from the sound sources, resulting in a blend that may be more appealing. Furthermore, the availability of purpose-built microphone mounts makes ORTF easy to achieve. As with all microphone arrangements, the spacing and angle can be...

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