ABSTRACT
With this chapter, the real “how-to” portion of the book begins. Aside from Chapter 2 on how to listen, this is probably the most important section of the publication. In the previous chapter, emphasis was placed on describing concert halls and their various iterations. Stories of the legendary “best seat in the house” are all too common, as every hall has that one magic place to sit where everything comes perfectly into focus, and the reverberation is at the optimum level. This “best seat” is generally a matter of debate, as there are invariably five or six of them in different locations around the house, depending upon the “source”. There is also much discussion about how the sound changes from the floor or orchestra level to the first balcony, or how row R on the right-hand side might be described as a veritable “sonic black hole”. This is mostly folklore for the patrons to obsess over at the bar during intermission, as none of it really matters for recording. As far as this chapter’s material is concerned, the most important position in the room is the location of the main microphone system.
