Stereo Imaging

Stereo imaging presents another interesting connection between light and sound. The way we perceive depth relies on the fact that we have two eyes that perceived slightly different images due to their spacing. When our brain puts these two flat images together, we are able to see depth. Our ears work in a very similar way in the perception of sound. By hearing slightly different sounds in each ear, our brain is able to corroborate them to create a sense of spacial awareness. This should be second nature to you, as you certainly use your spacial sense of hearing on a daily basis.

The production of stereo music takes advantage of the sense of depth that our ears are able to produce. A song in stereo means that the two speakers or two headphones/earbuds actually play slightly different versions of the same song. Stereo imaging is the process of using the stereo reproduction of sound to create music that has audible depth and width. A song with good stereo imaging tends to sound more natural and allows instruments to have more clarity in the mix. If you close your eyes while listening to a well-produced recording of a jazz trio, you should be able to easily envision the location of each musician in front of you due to the recording's stereo imaging.

Achieving a recording with good stereo imaging is not an easy process. When recording acoustic instruments, stereo recording techniques need to be utilized in order to capture audio for both sound channels while also utilizing specific types of microphones that properly capture the depth and width of specific instruments.

In post production, after a performance has already been recorded, digital audio plugins that simulate the effect of stereo imaging can be carefully used to make a recording sound more natural or full. Stereo imaging can also be used to make a more well-mixed song by allowing each instrument to have its own physical space. This process can be especially important in the creation of electronic music, which will almost never be recorded by using a microphone. To achieve a good stereo image in the context of electronic music will effectively always require the use of stereo imaging plugins. In the mastering stages of producing a song, stereo imaging can be applied to different frequency ranges instead of specific instruments. In this case, higher frequencies are often manipulated to sound more wide, while lower frequencies are kept in the middle. This can allow a mix to sound more clear by granting new space to the different frequency ranges of a song.

Works Cited:
"Introduction to Stereo Imaging -- Theory." Cardiff School of Computer Science and Informatics. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.
"Stereo Imaging." CDT Audio. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.