Bob Cain wrote:
Scott Dorsey wrote:

For the most part, the 2003 will be worse off-axis than the others. None
of these mikes is really optimized for distant miking.

Do you have data to support that or have you done comparative listening
tests varying the angle?

I have actual plots on a mike built with the same capsule as the 2003,
but I don't have actual measurements on the poster's specific 2003. Since
they are all tensioned a little differently, the patterns are all a little
different.

As far as pattern, it doesn't matter as much as people usually opine.
Using XY, the extreme of hypercardiod is a figure 8 and with that
pattern one gets a Blumlein configuration.

Right. But the pattern needs to be uniform with frequency as much as
possible. Since most of the sound sources are off-axis, the response
to the sides is critical.

While you will hear a difference comparatively with varied patterns, it
isn't about good or bad, better or worse but more about preference.

Well, if I have figure-8 pair, I am going to need to place it a lot farther
back to get the same ambience than I will need to place a Jecklin pair of
omnis. This has other side effects, of course (including giving you the
ability to deal with standing waves between the ceiling and floor, and
tight nulls to deal with slap echos from the floor).

In a long narrow room with a live ceiling, the Blumlein is probably going
to be a win. In a short, wide room with a nice reverb decay, the Jecklin
pair is probably going to be a win.

BUT, if you have your choice between mikes of similar patterns, the mikes
that are most accurate off-axis will be a win.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."