How Surround Sound Systems Work?
You might be wondering at all the hype surrounding surround sound systems. In fact, you might be asking yourself about what’s the big difference between a pair of headphones and a surround sound system. Well, you should realize by now that there is a world of difference between the two.
Most sound systems today are binaural –that means they work on two different channels. These sound systems are also referred to as “stereophonic” and attempt to immerse a person in sound by targeting each ear from a different direction. Thus, you can imagine yourself attending a concert even while you are at home.
A surround sound takes this premise and amplifies it. With surround sound, you don’t just imagine yourself sitting with the audience on a concert, you actually experience being on the stage with the band!
Surround sound systems do this because they produce sound on multiple audio channels, each with a separate speaker. This means sounds come not just from the left and right of the listener, but from different directions in front, back, left, right and diagonal. Heck, some surround sound systems even produce sound from above and below. This encloses a person in a virtual globe of sound.
This globe of sound stimulates the brain and “tricks” it into thinking that the person is actually at the center of the action. Since we actually perceive sounds from all around us and not just from the left and right directions, surround sound can be more effective in covering us in a veil of illusion –a very effective entertainment tool, especially in movies.
A great technique used by sound mixers to create various effects in surround sound systems is “panning”. In this technique, sound from one channel is slowly decreased in volume while sound from another channel is increased. This can create the illusion of movement and can be highly effective if employed with the right visuals.
Surround sound systems also work because they manage to flood you with ambient noise. This noise is what we filter out most of the time, but which our subconscious registers. Because of this ambient noise, your subconscious actually “thinks” that you are a movie, instead of just watching it from your living room.
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