Two Channel Microphone: Right & Left Channels Explained

  • Thread starter btb4198
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Channel
In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of a two channel microphone, also known as a stereo microphone, and the different ways in which the signals are organized. The two main systems are the "XY" system and the "MS" system, with the latter being able to control the width of the stereo image. The conversation also touches on the use of PCM encoding in digital microphones and the process of using a decimation filter to turn it into multi-bit digital samples. The speaker also recommends a tutorial and provides a link for further information.
  • #1
btb4198
572
10
if you have a two Channel Microphone, what does that mean ?
do you have to separate the right and left channels before you send it to a FFT?
if so why?
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
  • #2
btb4198 said:
if you have a two Channel Microphone, what does that mean ?
do you have to separate the right and left channels before you send it to a FFT?
if so why?

I did a google search on your phrase Two Channel Microphone, and all I saw was 2-channel microphone preamps. Do you have a model number or link to your microphone?
 
  • #3
berkeman said:
I did a google search on your phrase Two Channel Microphone, and all I saw was 2-channel microphone preamps.

They are usually called stereo microphones, e.g. http://www.thomann.de.gb/stereo_microphones.html [Broken]

There are two different ways the signals are organized. the "XY" system has the left and right signals on separate channels. The "MS" (mid and side) system has left+right on one channel, and left-right on the other. This is useful because you can control the "width" of the stereo image by changing the gain on the "side" channel.

Note, in the MS system the "side" channel is physically a velocity sensitive (not pressure sensitive) transducer, which responds to the pressure difference across the two sides of the transducer.

I suspect this is a continuation of the OP's earlier problems, in which case the answer to
do you have to separate the right and left channels before you send it to a FFT?
is, you can combine the R and L channels any way you like, or not combine them at all, before you do an FFT, but what you can't usefully do is take digital samples alternately from the two channels.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #4
How do I know if it is a MS system or a XY
I know it is a Pcm Encoding
but I do not know what that means
 
  • #5
I'm going to assume You have a digital microphone. You give it a clock and it outputs PCM (Pulse Code Modulation). It is basically a 1 bit sigma-delta modulated datastream. Well, actually it is two datastreams. Generally one is valid on the clock rising edge and the other is valid on the clock falling edge.

You process each PCM stream with a decimation filter to turn it into multi-bit digital samples. What do you want to interface it to?

If you have an FPGA then the decimation filter is pretty simple.

Here is a nice tutorial. Also has a great picture of Sigma Delta 1 bit output for a sine wave.
http://www.wolfsonmicro.com/documents/uploads/misc/en/WAN0263_1.pdf
 
Last edited:

1. What is a two channel microphone?

A two channel microphone is a type of microphone that has two separate channels, known as the left and right channels. This allows for recording or capturing audio from two different sources simultaneously.

2. How does a two channel microphone work?

A two channel microphone works by using two separate diaphragms to capture sound waves from different directions. The signals from the two diaphragms are then sent to two separate channels, resulting in a stereo recording.

3. What is the difference between the left and right channels of a two channel microphone?

The left and right channels of a two channel microphone capture sound from different directions, resulting in a stereo recording. The left channel usually captures sound from the left side of the microphone, while the right channel captures sound from the right side.

4. Can a two channel microphone be used for recording in mono?

Yes, a two channel microphone can be used for recording in mono by either using only one of the channels or by combining the signals from both channels into one mono signal.

5. What are the advantages of using a two channel microphone?

The main advantage of using a two channel microphone is the ability to capture sound from two different sources simultaneously, resulting in a stereo recording. This can add depth and dimension to the recorded audio and is especially useful for recording music or live performances.

Similar threads

Replies
80
Views
3K
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
24
Views
3K
  • Electrical Engineering
2
Replies
38
Views
4K
Replies
2
Views
603
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
1
Views
864
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
21
Views
2K
  • Quantum Physics
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
Replies
15
Views
1K
  • Electrical Engineering
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
5
Views
1K
Back
Top