I currently have 2 Sennheiser MKH 20 omni mics that I use to record concerts using the spaced pair technique. I have a few questions. Sorry in advance for the possible trivial nature of the questions as well. I'm fairly new at recording.

First, I have done some research to see if I'm doing the right thing: I have the mics 13' above the stage, about... 4' behind the director spaced 2' apart. Both are aimed straight forward and angled down slightly (about 10-15 degrees). Is this the proper position, at least to start with? For the time being I'm recording a concert band in a fully enclosed shell.

Second, is it necessary to move on to three mics? I am willing to fork the extra $1200 forward to get another mic if it's going to improve the stereo spread to an extent great enough to improve the sound of the recordings by a noticeable margin. I ask this because we recently borrowed mics from Rick Galbraith of Caravan Audio (Cleveland), and he sent three B&K 4006s (along with a diagram). If he sent three, not two, it must mean that using three in this situation is better than using two. But is it better to the point that it's worth the extra mic? Bragging rights yes, but in reality?

If I was to get a third mic, it is my understanding that positioning and orienting is largely trial and error. My current image is a microphone center and two more about 10' to the right/left of it aimed slightly in and down toward the center of the ensemble (as per the diagram mentioned before). Is this too far? The ensemble is about 40-45 feet across and is about 20 feet deep.

And lastly, panning. For the two mic spaced pair technique, I assume you'd pan 100% left/right for each mic. I just want to make sure that this is the right idea, opposed to panning... say, 70% in either direction.


Another quick thought: I'll be recording a jazz band at the next concert that will be outside the shell. I'm obviously going to need to move the mics, any suggestions where/how? It's a typical band, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxes, piano, bass, drums.