A comparative analysis of selected three-dimensional recording techniques for multichannel and non-simultaneous Turkish music choir production

The reproduction of sound in two dimensions at different scales has prompted inquiries into the possibilities of achieving three-dimensional spatial sound; attempts have been made to represent the behavior of sound in space through speaker placements, matrixing techniques, and similar methods. Since the mid-20th century, the dimensional characteristics of sound and the reproduction techniques incorporating these features have garnered increasing interest, paving the way for the development of object-based audio technologies today. Three-dimensional sound technologies have found wide applications in cinema, music, exhibition, and gaming industries; particularly in music production, genre-based approaches have been developed. This study, conducted from the perspective of a Turkish music choir, is a type of ensemble recording research. Although Turkish music choirs are not a traditional performance method in either Turkish Folk Music (THM) or Turkish Classical Music (TSM), they have been performing pieces from the repertoire independently or within institutional frameworks for many years. In this context, the recording production processes of choir music are significantly more complex compared to instrumental or solo vocal recordings. Taking into account the realism of the listener sharing the same space as the performance and the reflections of optimal room parameters on the recording, three-dimensional techniques classified as HVS, HSVC, and HVC based on their placement were examined. One technique from each category (a total of three techniques) was selected for the recording of the Turkish music choir. To evaluate the recordings, two groups were formed, each consisting of 35 participants, with a total of 70 participants, divided into an experimental group and a control group. In order to determine the initial point of participants' spatial perception and to observe the correlation between conventional and innovative recording techniques, the choir's performance recorded using a stereo technique was first played, and participants were asked to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 based on five different evaluation criteria. Following this pre-test phase, the experimental group was exposed to various types of three-dimensional recordings for eight weeks, while the control group received no intervention. At the end of the eight weeks, in the post-test phase, the same choir's recordings made using three-dimensional techniques were played for both groups, and they were asked to rate them based on the same criteria. The data obtained in this process were analyzed and interpreted using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test and Descriptive Analysis methods.