| Title |
Published |
Abstract |
5.1
surround and 3D (full sphere with height) reproduction
for interactive gaming and training simulation |
AES
121st Int'l Conv 10/06 San Francisco
|
Immersive
sound for gaming and simulation, perhaps more than for music and movies,
requires preserving directionality of direct sounds, both fixed and moving,
and acoustical reflections dynamically affecting those sounds, to effect
the spatiality being presented. Conventionally (as with popular music),
sources are panned close-microphone signals or synthesized sounds; the presentation
pretends “They are here,” where spatiality is largely that of
the listening environment. Convolution with room impulse responses can contribute
diffuse ambience but not “real” spatiality and tone color. These
issues pertain not only to 5.1 where reproduction is a 2D horizontal circle
of speakers, but to advanced 3D interactive reproduction, where the listener
perceives the experience at the center of the sphere of natural hearing.
Production techniques are introduced that satisfy both 3D and compatible
5.1. Independent measurement confirms that the system preserves directionality
and reproduces life-like spatiality and tone color continuously in the 3D
perception sphere. |
| Physiological
and content considerations for a second low frequency channel for bass management,
subwoofers, and LFE |
ASA/CAA
49th Int'l Conf. 5/05 Vancouver
AES
119th Int'l Conv.10/05
NYC
VDT
23rd Tonmeisters 11/04 Leipzig
|
By
convention, "frequencies below 90Hz produce no interaural cues useful
for spatial sound or localization." Yet some claim they are able to
hear a difference between a single subwoofer channel (whether or not to
more than one subwoofer) and two ("stereo bass"). Reported research
supports the Jeffress model of interaural time difference (ITD) determination
in brain structures, and extending the accepted lower frequency limit of
interaural phase difference (IPD). Meanwhile, uncorrelated very low frequencies
(VLF <100Hz) exist in nearly all existing multi-channel music and movie
content. The audibility, recording, and reproduction of uncorrelated VLF
are explored in theory and experiments. |
| Spatial
Definition and the PanAmbiophone microphone array for 2D surround &
3D fully periphonic recording |
AES
117th Int'l Conv 10/04 San Francisco |
Higher
sampling rates are necessary for high spectral resolution, but it is high
angular resolution and precision that preserves source directionality and
therefore high tonal/timbral quality of that source, given that spectrum.
Tonality in acoustic spaces that are extensions of musical instruments,
voice boxes, and sources of atmospheric sound effects (as for movies) is
a major contributor to lifelike perception, but in audio reproduction tonality
is limited by the recording system. A surround microphone has been developed
both for more precise PanorAmbiophonic 2D surround ("PanAmbio"),
compatible with ITU 5.1, and "PerAmbio" 3D (with height) for the
ultimate in tonal reality, distributable in ordinary 6-channel media for
either decoderless 2D replay or 3D with decoder and five additional speakers. |
| Scalable
Tri-play Recording for Stereo, ITU 5.1/6.1 2D, and Periphonic 3D (with Height)
Compatible Surround Sound Reproduction |
AES
115th Int'l Conv 10/03 NYC |
Objectives:
Take the next step toward reproducing human hearing AND make better recordings
in 5.1. In life, we hear sources we see – but also reflections and
reverberation we don't see. Each sonic arrival is individually direction-stamped
by our unique HRTF, including height, tonally colored by our pinna. Preserving
3D directionality is key to life-like hearing. A practical, scalable approach
is presented (pat.pend.) – a way to “transform” 3D (full
sphere) recordings for uncompromised 2D reproduction in stereo or 5.1/6.1
without any decoding. By adding a decoder and speakers, full 3D is losslessly
“reconstituted” from 6-channel media. Experimental “tri-play”
6-channel “PerAmbio 3D/2D” recordings have been made and demonstrations
presented (AES 114th Amsterdam 3/2003 & AES 24th Banff 6/2003)
with praised results. |
| Transforming
Ambiophonic + Ambisonic 3D Surround Sound to & from ITU 5.1/6.1 |
AES
114 Int'l Conv 3/03 Amsterdam |
ITU
6.1 with six discrete full-range audio channels, implemented in DVD-A, SACD,
and DTS-ES Discrete, provide the means to deliver full sphere periphonic
3D surround sound. For compatible distribution, the channels are transformed
for 5.1/6.1 reproduction, but can still be fully recovered for "PerAmbio"
reproduction – an Ambisonic + Ambiophonic hybrid approach, described
in a prior paper, that maximizes 3D envelopment along with front stage imaging
and spaciousness, while economizing the number of channels and speakers.
To clarify that fewer media channels "r" are required than speakers
"s" the use of MCN - multichannel numbering, in the form "r.lfe.s"
is proposed. Experimental "PerAmbio 6.1.10" (10 speakers or more
+ subwoofer) recordings test six encoding variations applicable in home
theater, virtual reality, and music-only production. |
| Compatible
PanAmbiophonic 4.1 and PerAmbiophonic 6.1 Surround Sound for Advanced Television
– Beyond ITU 5.1 |
SMPTE
144th Int'l Conv 10/02 Pasadena |
ITU
5.1 – the multichannel speaker standard for Advanced Television and
home cinema – is not extensible to periphony – the entire, spherical
wavefield of natural human hearing. Psychoacoustic theory and experimental
recordings explore future-proof capturing, critical monitoring, and compatible
production to help sound engineers today achieve more realistic multichannel
television and cinema. |
| Contrasting
ITU 5.1 and Panor-ambiophonic 4.1 Surround Sound Recording Using OCT and
Sphere Microphones |
AES112th
Int'l Conv 5/02 Munich |
Two
multi-channel microphone techniques for natural music and sound effects
reproduction are experimentally compared. Simultaneous surround sound recordings
of several genres of music and ambience are made in concert hall, studio,
and outdoors. Trained listeners subjectively evaluate the abilities and
tradeoffs of each system to recreate accurate panoramic localization and
spatial impression of opera, bluegrass with audience participating, flute
quartet, brass quintet, marching bands with surrounding crowd and building
echoes, and 360? "Walkabout" azimuth test. Differing speaker layouts
for 5.1 and "Panor-ambiophonic" Surround are shown to satisfy
two distinct listening audiences, which are further divided into home, automotive,
and PC markets. An approach to recording level-setting, compatible production,
and delivery formats are introduced to satisfy these diverse end uses. |
RECORDING
IMMERSIVE 5.1/6.1/7.1 SURROUND SOUND, COMPATIBLE STEREO, AND FUTURE 3D (WITH
HEIGHT)
|
AES 28th International
Conference, Piteå, Sweden, 4/20/2006 (not presented)
|
Much 5.1/6.1 content,
like stereo, is sourced by panning close microphone signals. The presentation
pretends the "sound sources are here," where spatiality is that
of the listening room and thus non-varying. However, realistic, immersive,
compelling reproduction of music, movie atmospheres, and gaming effects
requires preserving spatiality and directionality-dependent tone color
of both direct sounds and acoustic reflections. The extent to which convolution
with room impulse responses can contribute not just diffuse ambience but
"realistic" tone color is considered. New recording techniques
are explored, applicable compatibly to 5.1/6.1 where reproduction is a
2D horizontal circle of speakers, to stereo (including personal devices
using earphones e.g. iPod), and to future 3D, where the listener is again
at the center of the sphere of natural hearing.
|
| Expand
your space; Put color in your life? |
AES Parma, Italy-Nov.
25, 2007 (rev10/10)
|
Human
perception of sources of sound, as characterized by their tone color (timbre)
and the space they are in (spatiality), is the end result of a chain of
events, described in five familiar steps, but spoiled by degrees where audio
reproduction is imposed. Practical, compatible formats are introduced that
result in naturally uncorrelated ear signals and preserved directionality
- important to achieving realism, and for meeting increasing demand in a
3D world for compelling audio for music, movies, & games. |
| AES
Italia 2007 - demonstrations |
Casa
della Musica, U. of Parma, Italy 11/23/2007 |
Four
forms of the Ambiophonics "family" were demonstrated in a 17-loudspeaker
listening room for attendees of AES Italia 2007. Recordings by Robin Miller
were played in Ambiophonics 2.0, PanAmbio 4.1 surround, TriAmbio 6.1, and
full-sphere HSD-3D. (Permanent demonstration in USA at FilmakerTechnology,
www.filmaker.com.) |
| True-to-life
Sound Reproduction using Recursive Ambiophonic Crosstalk Elimination (RACE) |
Ralph
Glasgal and Robin Miller11/2006 (rev 7/2007)
|
Over the last century,
the world of stereo matured - in recordings, movies, radio & TV, and
personal players. If in the new century you want lifelike realism from
your collection of music, movies, and games, then consider the advantages
of Ambiophonics as a "stereo decoder." What is Ambiophonics
and how does it work? This is your introduction and guide to Ambiophonic
2-channel or Pan-Ambiophonic surround sound in your home or studio.
|
| Ambiophonics
Terminology: The language of stereo-and-5.1-compatible loudspeaker-binaural |
Robert E. (Robin)
Miller III AES SMPTE BSEE 7/31/2009
|
A
reference when delving into and implementing an Ambiophonics audio system.
Includes simple but highly relevant psychoacoustic theory, and Ambiophonic
solutions for most audio recording formats, including 2-channel stereo (or
binaural), 5.1/7.1-channel surround, and full-sphere High Sonic Definition-3D. |
| What
to expect to hear with Ambiophonics: Observations of an audio engineer that
anyone can appreciate |
Robert
E. (Robin) Miller III AES SMPTE BSEE 12/04/2008 |
Ambiophonics
is a big step toward hearing realism in stereo recordings, namely: A) correct
tone color (timbre), B) immersive spatiality, and C) temporal clarity. However,
audio reproduction of life-like tone color, spatiality, and clarity is the
perceptual destination of a tortuous journey, beginning with performers
and their instruments plus recording engineers and their microphones in
the recording space, and ending with listeners and their ear-brains in the
listening space. Results using Ambiphonics are described by a long-time
audio, broadcast, and recording engineer. |
| Evaluating
Loudspeakers: Subjectivity using non-sentimental sound-makers |
Robert
E. (Robin) Miller III AES SMPTE BSEE 6/25/2009 |
Floyd
Toole has determined that, for monitoring during production of audio content
as well as for critical listening, use the best loudspeaker available. Even
when making production decisions for the broader population who may have
"average to poor" speakers, these average out to a pretty good
speaker - and decisions made on so-called "cheap" speakers are
only valid for that speaker, not all the other cheap speakers! So several
professional audio engineers assembled five pairs of monitor-quality and
"high-end" loudspeakers for a "shoot-out" and evaluated
them not using music, which elicits emotional reactions, but using "non-sentimental"
yet revealing sound sources, with surprising results. |
| How
Good Can Stereo Be? - Try Ambiophonics and See (speaker stereo v. speaker
binaural) |
Robert E. (Robin)
Miller III AES SMPTE BSEE 7/20/2008
|
We're
not fooled; recordings aren't real. With two speakers spaced 60° in
front of us - let's call that "speaker stereo" - the three most
key qualities of audio reproduction are distorted. Defects are due not only
to your listening equipment or acoustics, but simply to the positional relationship
of the speakers and your ears. Unless that relationship is corrected to
produce no acoustic artifacts, correct localization, spatiality, and tone
color remain imprisoned in much of your collection of music, movies or games.
Even 5.1 surround is often just 60° stereo in front plus two side-rear
speakers to provide envelopment, but still we do not experience being "transported"
to the concert hall or movie or game scene, where captured auditory events
are unlocked, and our speakers and listening space "disappear." |
| One
Key to Ambiophonic crosstalk cancellation - ITDspkr: Inter-aural time difference
from a loudspeaker |
Robert E. (Robin)
Miller III AES SMPTE BSEE 12/15/2008 rev 2/18/2009
|
Unlike
listening using headphones, when listening to stereo speakers, crosstalk
is heard by either ear from the speaker opposite. If signals to the speakers
are similar or identical (think of a centered soloist, or on-screen dialogue),
delay-caused cancellations at both ears (comb-filtering) render the reproduction
harsh. Also these important center-stage sounds jump to the nearer speaker
if the listener is off-center. The measurable Inter-aural time delay between
speakers (ITDspkr) is the basis for introducing crosstalk-cancellation in
order to breathe new life playing stereo recordings. |
| LEV
and the "Money Seat" of Stereo or Surround Sound: Spatiality research
models listener preference |
Robert
E. (Robin) Miller III AES SMPTE BSEE 4/28/2009 |
Along
with faithful tone color (timbre), spatial audio reproduction that localizes
sounds and conveys "listener envelopment" is prized not just by
audiophiles and audio professionals, but by the listening public, whether
they know what to call it or not. Inter-aural cross-correlation (IACC) between
ear signals measures this pleasing effect, whether in the live concert hall
or home media room, and gives clues as to why LEV improves greatly going
from monaural to stereo to Ambiophonics to 2D surround (5.1/7.1), and ultimately
to listener immersion in full-sphere 3D. |
Stereo
Made Whole – Do You Need It?
Ambiophonics and the path to immersive reality |
Robert
E. (Robin) Miller III AES SMPTE BSEE 1/13/2009 |
Determine whether
it might be worth your time to study and try Ambiophonics audio technology
by answering these 3-questions: 1. I don’t have a lot of money, but
would like a more realistic, immersive experience from my stereo, laptop
audio, or home theater – and my ears work; 2. I have a lot of money
and would do anything to get back the spark I once felt from my CD/vinyl
collection – and the performance of my system; 3. I am a scientist/engineer,
moderately skilled DIYer (do-it-yourselfer), or open-minded audiophile
who enjoys experimenting – and good results. If you identify with
two of the above, you’ll risk little to read on and discover Ambiophonics.
|
Tuning
phonograph reproduction
by proper capacitive loading and channel balancing
|
WhitePaper
by Robert E. (Robin) Miller III AES SMPTE BAS BSEE 9/30/2014 |
Setting
up a turntable, tone-arm, pickup, & preamplifier must be attended to
by users in order to realize good performance from their phonograph systems
for enjoying and restoring 78, 45, and 33? rpm disc recordings. Two crucial
issues are often ignored that diminish sound quality: 1) proper capacitive
loading of moving magnet/moving iron (MM/MI) cartridges for best resulting
frequency, phase, and transient response; and 2) proper balance for best
stereo "soundstage," and for monaural reproduction to cancel not-recorded
vertical distortions. Both are addressed, and implemented in an inexpensive
($30 less case & power supply) "audiophile phono stage." |
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