Introduction

Perception Conception

The primary reason to use multichannel sound is to enhance the listening experience. Surround sound helps both music and visual producers deepen the realism and involve the audience further. For example, the approach of a rescue helicopter sent to save the movie hero has greater impact when it first appears in the distance behind the audience, flies its way to the front of the viewing room, and then across the screen. Similarly, music recordings have more intimacy when the singer’s voice moves about the room in the same manner she might on a live stage. Surround sound also enhances live performances presented on CD/DVD by placing the listener in the auditorium, keeping the performance on stage and the original ...

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