Rode Stereo Bar for XY, ORTF and Spaced Microphone Pairs

Rode Stereo Bar: Repeatable Stereo Recording from a Single Stand

The Rode Stereo Bar is a stereo microphone spacing bar that mounts two microphones on one stand for stereo recording. Printed spacing markings and angle indicators let you set XY, ORTF, and spaced-pair configurations quickly and, more importantly, repeat them exactly the next time. For the engineer capturing acoustic instruments, ensembles, drum overheads, or a room, it turns stereo miking from a fiddly guessing game into a fast, measured, repeatable setup.

Why Marked Spacings and Angles Matter

Stereo recording techniques are defined by precise geometry: the distance between the capsules and the angle between the microphones determine the width and imaging of the stereo picture. The Stereo Bar prints that geometry right on the bar, with spacing marks out to a maximum 20 cm (7.75 in) of capsule separation, including the critical 17 cm ORTF spacing, and angle indicators for 90 degrees XY and 110 degrees ORTF. Instead of estimating by eye, you set both microphones to a known position and angle, which means the stereo image you captured today can be reproduced note-for-note in the next session.

From Coincident XY to Spaced and Stacked Arrays

A single bar covers the core stereo techniques. Bring the microphones together at 90 degrees for a coincident XY pair with rock-solid mono compatibility, open them to the 17 cm, 110-degree ORTF position for a wider, more natural image, or spread them toward the 20 cm maximum for a spaced arrangement with more spaciousness. The Stereo Bar also includes spacing clips that add a height offset, so you can build near-coincident and stacked arrays where one capsule sits slightly above the other. It is a lot of stereo technique from one lightweight tool.

Lightweight Bar That Still Holds Serious Mics

The Stereo Bar is molded from tough ABS and weighs just 1.6 oz (45 g), so it adds almost nothing to your stand load, yet it is engineered to support two large-diaphragm microphones up to the weight of a K2 without flexing or drooping. It carries 5/8-inch mounting threads for the microphones and mounts to a standard stand, working naturally with Rode small-diaphragm condensers like the M5, NT5, and NT55 as well as heavier large-diaphragm pairs.

Who the Rode Stereo Bar Is For

The Stereo Bar is for recording engineers, location and nature recordists, and musicians who capture in stereo and want their technique to be fast to set and easy to repeat. It suits acoustic guitar, piano, strings, choir, orchestra, drum overheads, and room and ambience capture, anywhere a measured XY, ORTF, or spaced pair beats a single mono microphone. If you record stereo, this bar makes it precise, portable, and repeatable.