Incredible Audiophile Imaging -- at a Concert!

Good friend of mine runs a sound reinforcement business and occasionally engineers in the studio. Introduced me to the audiophile world via Dynaco and Linn LP12 setup at his parents home way back in the dayl. Anyway he went into sound reinforcement so all his audio investments went into pro audio equipment, and this not cheap stuff, we're talking custom builds, multi tens of thousands dollar equipment. I've never heard amplified/sound reinforcement concert sound done better, he doesn't overdrive his equipment trying to get maximum volume, actually hear things like timbre and tonality with various instruments. He does virtually all genres, jazz and blues guys especially like him, does a lot of reggae down in the Caribbean, occasionally rock. Back in the day, we were big concert goers, never understood why the sound quality had to be so bad, overly loud, distorted sound seems to be required protocol at live concerts to this day. Most live music has never been my reference for sound quality, smaller  venue, minimal amplification, or the way my friend does it only way to go. 

As for sound extending outside speakers, this doesn't create an exaggerated size center image in any audio system I've assembled. Yes, there may be sound ques that go beyond the speakers but center image maintains a reasonable size. Devoid those ques, image outlines would be too tightly drawn, real life images blend into surrounding space, this how you want home stereo to sound. 

@ghdprentice  Thanks for that post,  which really made me think.  One thing irritating to me is the concept of audio engineers deciding for me what I want to hear.  It's one thing to be sitting in your home with different parts of the keyboard spread across your room and wondering how the thing was miked as opposed to a live venue and be finding the natural sound of a performance not just enlarged, but rather "enhanced" by sonic manipulation.  Obviously someone else decided for me what I wanted to hear.  With a recording it is, admittedly, something different, although I prefer a simpler two-mike or similar technique.  I do like to imagine an actual group playing in front of me, but that's a pretty rare deal nowadays and you just have to ignore what's going on otherwise and focus on the music.  Having that happen when the artists are actually playing right in front of you is something else:  you're not listening to them, you're listening to the speakers. 

Was the piano a real instrument, or an electronic keyboard?

If it was a real instrument, most likely the vibrating strings inside it were arranged in a fairly complex pattern, with the low note strings running diagonally under the midrange strings.  In other words, the acoustic, unamplified instrument does not arrange for low notes to be on the left

Was it a concert grand piano, or an upright?  If a concert grand, was the soundboard (lid) closed, open or removed completely?  Was there just one microphone for the piano, or two, or a whole array?

Most likely the sound engineers electronically panned the piano sound based on frequency.  Incredible sound.  Unbelievable sound.  Indeed, but I for one prefer believable sound

For years, I worked along side the electric unions that set up sound for a ton of shows.  Most of the time, the act sent people to check out the venues and then plan out every inch of cable and every watt. The Rolling Stones put up a really elaborate show in many sports domes and it was amazing how most of them really sounded great!

It’s a science!

So the piano was a grand, possibly a concert grand, opened. It was heavily mic'ed, at least 3 close to the keyboard and 1 or 2 for ambience. My belief is that it was very carefully mixed and panned based on microphones, but not panned based on frequency. It was super clean sounding, and did not have the digital hash which is the hallmark of most DSP systems.

Again, this was more of a gestalt thing. You could listen to the sound holistically without hearing this L to R pan effect, but if you focused on the L to R aspect of the keyboard, you got that clearly. My friends did not notice this. Maybe my hearing is just very visual. I only got it when I listened with my eyes closed.

I guess I am strange in that, if the sound is clean and deliberate, I am inclined to like the presentation. I assume it's what the artist wanted. Not everything has to sound like Jazz at the Pawnshop to be enjoyed. I do enjoy great imaging, but I can also enjoy a manufactured soundstage as well. I won't refuse to listen to music that does not meet some uncompromising ideal of recording standards. 

I understand @ghdprentice 's lamentations with DSP messing up the sound at the symphony, and completely sympathize. I hate artificial sound. But when it appears to be what the artist wants, and is very clean (again, telegraphing intent), then I enjoy it as the artist intends...