What is 3d audio?
The traditional movie theater / home dvd (or video for ye old-timers ;-) experience is flat. Conventional screens have two dimensions, width and height, but no depth. What I mean by that is that while a picture certainly can seem deep, any perceived depth is just that: perceived. It is quickly recognized as such, and does not change when one moves one's eyes or head.
Audio on the other hand, especially simple stereophonic recordings, have always been able to convey depth--but no height. The latter may be due more to the playback setup than the recording technology itself! I had an amazing experience of height information encoded in a simple AB recording when attending a presentation of the "Bloomline loudspeaker system" (formerly named the "inaudible loudspeaker") by Leo de Clerk at 2008's VDT International convention. [Abstract]
So what makes video three dimensional? It is either (1) depth or (2) envelopment. And what puts audio in the same position: either (1) height or (2) envelopment. So the question at the start can be answered in that surround sound, be it quad(raphonic) or 5.0, 7.0 etc. already satisfies the requirement.
Surround sound is 3d audio!
And so it appears we have had 3d audio long before moving pictures went 3d. BTW, adding height to the equation introduces yet another dimension with little or no sweat ;-)
Audio on the other hand, especially simple stereophonic recordings, have always been able to convey depth--but no height. The latter may be due more to the playback setup than the recording technology itself! I had an amazing experience of height information encoded in a simple AB recording when attending a presentation of the "Bloomline loudspeaker system" (formerly named the "inaudible loudspeaker") by Leo de Clerk at 2008's VDT International convention. [Abstract]
So what makes video three dimensional? It is either (1) depth or (2) envelopment. And what puts audio in the same position: either (1) height or (2) envelopment. So the question at the start can be answered in that surround sound, be it quad(raphonic) or 5.0, 7.0 etc. already satisfies the requirement.
Surround sound is 3d audio!
And so it appears we have had 3d audio long before moving pictures went 3d. BTW, adding height to the equation introduces yet another dimension with little or no sweat ;-)
posted by Andrew Levine at Monday, June 07, 2010
2 Comments:
Nice little post, with a mathematical approach! Im not sure the video guys will appreciate it though.
I would assume 3D audio refers to sound from speakers placed above the audience. If that's the case, the mixer's panning UI must be mindblowing.
Post a Comment
<< Home