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Is imaging reality?

I’m thrilled that I finally reached the point in my quest where instruments are spread across my listening field like a virtual “thousand points of light.”  I would never want to go back to the dark ages of mediocre imaging, But as a former classical musician, the thought occurs to me, is this what I hear at a concert, even sitting in the first row?  What we’re hearing is the perspective of where the microphones are placed, generally right on top of the musicians.  So close that directionality is very perceptible, unlike what we hear in the hall. The quality of our systems accurately reproduces this perspective wonderfully. 
But is it this as it is in the real world?
128x128rvpiano
headphonedreams
529 posts
 
You can read some reviews by John Atkinson at Stereophile. He has made a lot of recordings and usually rembers a lot of how the mics were placed and some of how it sounded and comments on differences or similarities.

Mics are often placed a bit to the front of an orchestra but it differs. I also think that some imaging exists when you listen live also but it may be less clear since you often have larger distances or some suboptimal placing.
bkeske's avatar
bkeske
5,597 posts
 
@mazian

For example I recently played a bassoon concerto and could hear the intake of breathe from the soloist before he/she began the solo, the click of the keys ( I call them keys but I am sure there is an official term that I can’t remember) and the shuffling of the players feet, all sounds you would be unlikely to hear at a live venue unless, perhaps you sat in the front row

I love that kind of stuff in a recording. Heck, in most cases you would have to be an orchestra member yourself to hear those things. But I like the immersive quality that type of thing brings, regardless if it is realistic, particularly for an orchestra performance. I have a couple of the Royal Concertgebouw Live box sets, and really like the various ambient sound captured. It provides a feeling/sense of ’being there’.
brownsfan
1,508 posts
 
bkeske, I agree with your comments on Severance Hall.   Not a bad seat in the house in my experience, and the most beautiful venue I've seen by no small margin.  It's been a while, but as I recall there is a fair distance between the front row and stage.  If I am remembering correctly, that could account for a more even distribution throughout the hall.  
bkeske's avatar
bkeske
5,597 posts
 
@brownsfan

Yes, and not only that, but George Szell himself was intrically responsible for creating a ’new’ sound absorption and diffusion system behind and around the stage vs what was originally designed.

Given your name, I assume you live, or used to live, near.
ejr1953
918 posts
 
I have a system I really enjoy, especially the imaging and sound stage.

My wife & I flew to Boston to enjoy Anne-Sophie Mutter playing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  When we returned home I played her SACD of the same concerto, really good, but not like the live performance.  For one thing, my audio system was missing the "visuals" of seeing how hard it is to play that tune.  And the ambiance of the concert hall wasn't the same at home.  Good, but different than the live performances.
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