"Scott Fraser" wrote in message
oups.com...
Why does a Neumann coincident large diaphram mike exist?

Because it's a useful tool in a toolbox that does a lot of work.

The prevailing opinion is that:
1. Large diaphrams have really lousy off axis response. It's a physics
"has
to be."

No, there's no cutoff point at which good off axis response becomes
unacceptable off axis response as diaphragm size increases. There are a
lot more important characteristics, & a lot of acoustical situations
wherein on axis information dominates to the point of making the off
axis characteristics comparatively unimportant.

2. The X-Y technique implemented by this mike has the fewest virtues
of any
of the coincident techniques.

This may be your opinion, but it is by no means an accepted fact.

It conveys stereo strictly by intensity
encoding.

Yes.

All of the closely spaced techniques are said to be better:

Again, this is opinion, not fact. They are all different, which doesn't
make them better. They are also all less mono compatible than XY.

ORTF, NOS,
Jecklin, Decca Tree, because they convey phase and time differences as
well.

All stereo techniques exist along a continuum comprising increasing
separation with decreasing mono compatibility. What sounds best is just
subjective opinion. All the primary techniques exist because they have
legitimacy & work. Beyond that, it's really a taste call.

One can understand why a neophyte might be attracted to a single
stereo
mike. I was. But the more I read, the more it appeared to be a gimmick.


It's not a gimmick. You should check Ron Streicher's extensive writing
on stereo & see if you can wrangle a copy of his simultaneous recording
of a small chamber group with a number of accepted stereo techniques.
Form your own opinion based on what you hear, not a supposedly
collective opinion of others.

Surely anyone who can afford $4,799.99 for a Neumann USM69i would
realize
this ?

It has nothing to do with perceiving a gimmick or not. XY is one of a
handful of perfectly legitimate stereo recording techniques embraced by
recording professionals with a lot of years of experience.

Scott Fraser

Scott, thanks for your informative answer. The opinions I presented are not
my own. I used them as reference.