Today’s theme du jour is spatial sound, where the higher the immersive quotient, the better. This goes back to Fantasia, Walt Disney’s animation masterpiece in 1941. Its clunky 5-track (LCR plus rear surrounds) system required multiple synched optical 35mm film transports, and after a few shows in a few cities, the format was scrapped. A decade later, Reeves-Soundcraft (not the British Soundcraft) unveiled 35mm film with magnetic edge coatings, marrying sound and picture on a single film reel. This was expanded to six tracks for limited 70mm film releases, and carried over into the 1970s, but the sound striping process was fragile and expensive.
Along the way, the public experienced Quadraphonic live sound (and home LP) systems, which were awful to anyone outside a narrow sweetspot. It was less than successful.
In 1977, Star Wars promoted the era of Dolby Stereo, with LCRS channels encoded on the film’s optical soundtrack, playable in surround-equipped theaters, yet compatible to older mono systems. Many people heard multichannel playbacks for the first time and liked the experience.
Today, technologies such as DSP-driven beam steering open the gates of creative expression in defining and creating a truly immersive spatial environment, whether in a concert, house of worship, sports facility, live theater, museum exhibit or special event presentation. Meanwhile, the large-scale Sphere at the Venetian (with its 167,000 individually amplified loudspeakers) should create excitement among the public concerning spatial audio. It’s definitely a major step forward and a good thing for the entire audio industry — and not just in Vegas.
And that, my friends, is a safe bet.
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