Soundstage depth and width

depth and width are not part of the definition of music. timbre deifnes the sound of an instrument and distinguishes it from other instruments. the goal of creating accurate timbre is more important than a concern with an artifact of music.

absolute accuracy of timbre is unrealistic. however, it is certainly worthwhile to try to attain a reduction in errors in timbral representation.

here is a definition of music derived from freedictionary.com/music:

"the art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a conhtinuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm and timbre".

note its sound in time not sound in place that is part of the definition. the location of the music is not part of the definition, so depth and width are artifacts. they constitute perspective when listening to music, they are not included in the definition of music.

soundstage width and depth are mostly illusions. they are artifacts of a recording.

hi rodman:

i agree that microphone selection and placement can create the illusion of depth and width.

the aforementioned sensation is probably not the same as the experience of listening to a symphony orchestra.

depending upon seat location, the perception of distance will vary , but sounds different from that which a stereo system can produce.

the microphone placement is also different from one's listening position in a concert hall.

it is hard to create the natural sound of an orchestra from a recording in most listening rooms.

it is eaier to record ansmall ensemble than a large orchestra, if one desires to create a semblance of reality.

in fact, as i have recounted, i was present at a demonstartion that compared live vs a microphone feed.

the group was misty river. the venue was the san remo hotel in las vegas. the comparison revealed small differences . i was suprised that the the differences were as small as i heard.

some of you who write on this forum may have been present at this event.

so it is possible to narrow the differences between the sound of live music and recordings, under certain conditions.

i will leave you with this question ?

why is it so hard to recreate the sound of a piano on a cd ?