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From: rivero@dev8.mdcbbs.com
Newsgroups: comp.music
Subject: Re: What is "QSOUND"
Message-ID: <1991Apr2.114107.1@dev8.mdcbbs.com>
Date: 2 Apr 91 11:41:07 GMT
References: <91090.130526AARIE@BGUVM.BITNET> <1991Mar31.214440.19139@dgbt.doc.ca>
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In article <1991Mar31.214440.19139@dgbt.doc.ca>, ted@dgbt.doc.ca (Ted Grusec) writes:
> This is in response to the question about what is Qsound. Qsound is a
> recording process that tries to provide some degree of 3-dimensional
> or spatial sound, but using only the conventional 2 stereo channels.
> It was developed and being marketed by a Canadian company, Archer
> Communications. The process is "secret" but probably involves phase
> shifting differentially across the frequency spectrum. It is not clear
> at this time how successful the process is from a perceptual
> standpoint. Some technical people are enthusiastic. Others believe
> it's a gimmick which sounds unnatural. A feww record companies are
> trying it on some records. Related schemes have been tried in various
> forms since the 70's or earlier. In my personal opinion it will go
> nowhere on serious music - at best may have some future "special
> effects" audio. If you get such a recording, play around with speaker
> placement, listening position, etc. You may or may not hear a
> difference.

The process is not secret, but it is patented. It is simply an arrangement of
seperate speakers ( one for each channel of source) arranged inside an acoustic
room near two microphones which represent the stereo output. The speakers are
arranged according to the desired direction of sound, and the multi channel
playback is recorded by the microphones. The true geometric placement
of speaker and microphones does indeed increase the sense of realism, and there
is a noticable improvement, especially through headphones. It's one of those
great ideas everyone else wishes they had thought of.