Re: New loop tool, sort of..stereo

[Travis Hartnett <travishartnett@gmail.com>]

There have been several "surround sound from only two speakers"
processes over the years.  You may be referring to the one called
Q-Sound, which was also used on Madonna's Greatest Hits that came out
around the same time as the Michael Jackson album.  I think that one
was optimized for headphones.  There was also "Holophonics", which was
used on Pink Floyd's "The Final Cut" and I think also a couple of
Roger Waters solo albums.

Regardless of how "natural" stereo is, the vast majority of listeners
prefer multi-channel recordings over monophonic.  And the "speakers in
the ceiling" thing sounds potientially problematic if microphones are
being used.

TravisH

On 11/23/05, Per Boysen <per@boysen.se> wrote:
> On Nov 23, 2005, at 7:24, Todd Pafford wrote:
>
> > I read an interesting article a couple of years back in Scientific
> > American about a guy who was working on analyzing and modelling the
> > way our ears locate sound.  I recall there being a good description
> > about the way in which the asymetrical shapes of our ears allow us to
> > place sound in 360 degrees based on minute differences in timing,
> > timbre, phase, etc between the sounds reaching each ear.  Taking this
> > information, some fancy math, and fast computers he was able to
> > deliver a 360 degree sound field from just two speakers.  Or he was
> > trying at any rate.  If I recall correctly, the system was real touchy
> > regarding speaker and listener positioning.  Can't help but wonder
> > whether he ever succeeded.
>
>
> He, or at least someone, obviously succeeded since such systems have
> been around for a while. I listened to the system developed by Roland
> many years ago (don't remember the name of it but it entered main
> publicity by being used on a Michael Jackson record) but I must say I
> did not hear much sound appear from outside the two speaker stereo
> range. Maybe my ears have the wrong kind of shape or I wasn't sitting
> at the sweet spot?
>
> The other day I also saw "surround headphones" at a computer store,
> but I guess that must be a hoax? Probably it means that these
> headphones does sum up the six surround channel outputs and play them
> back as a convenient two channel mix.
>
> Anyway, no one has yet come up with a sound system that also play
> sound from the directions below and above. Ahh... just remembered
> this gig a while back where we were playing at a dance club and the
> ceiling was stuffed with speakers. No particular direction in the
> sound, but it was way cool to perform on the floor "in a circle
> inside the audience" with sound coming all from above (as opposed
> from playing on a stage with stage monitoring system). The most
> "surround" going on there was actually the audience ;-)
>
> Greetings from Sweden
>
> Per Boysen
> www.looproom.com (international)
> www.boysen.se (Swedish)
> --->  iTunes Music Store (digital)
> www.cdbaby.com/perboysen
>
>
>
>