Natural 5.1 recording of orchestra elements, soloists, room acoustics, and audience requires adequate stereophonic representation of direct sound, early and late reflections, and reverberation. Particular concepts are proposed to create directional clarity, spatial depth, spatial impression, envelopment, ambient atmosphere, as well as directional stability within the sweet area. Corresponding microphone configurations, mixing methods and signal processing tools are offering realization of a wide range of spatial sound design ideas.