3DStereo is like an old new surround sound format

In this article I want to share my vision of the surround sound format, which in my opinion is the future.

Where does the term 3DStereo come from?

We are all already accustomed to the phrase binaural sound. But in my opinion, it needs to be transformed into a more correct form – binaural perception of sounds by a person, this creates a clearer idea. Any sound we hear in nature is binaural for us.

We are also well aware of surround sound formats based on a system of speakers placed around the listener. These are DolbyDigital, Dolby Atmos, DTS X and the like. The volume effect is achieved through the same binaural perception and is widely used in cinema systems.

A further development was the mixing of surround sound channels into 3D Stereo, using the HRTF model or head transfer function. Listening to multi-channel content through headphones has become popular, without purchasing an expensive DC system.

3D content began to appear in the form of ready-made stereo tracks in movies, music and video games. The so-called binaural sound.

As a result, the stereo format or 3DStereo using the properties of binaural human perception became a necessary and sufficient condition for reproducing 3D sound.

Play 3DStereo from an external speaker.

As I wrote earlier in the article, to obtain the volume effect from an external speaker, you need a stereo pair consisting of monitors and located at right angles and in height so that the tweeters are at ear level. What is the reason for this location?

Firstly, it is worth moving away from the association of the arrangement of speakers in accordance with the panorama. Monitors should be perceived not as sound sources, but as 3Dstereo projectors holograms. And the best angle for perceiving the frequency spectrum, according to HRTF research graphs, is straight. Exactly the same as we place video monitors at right angles in front of our eyes to transmit images without distortion.

There is no point in placing monitors in front, behind or on top if our panorama is there, it will be exactly in the place where the sound engineer sets it. Surely there are already tools in sound editors that allow you to place parts of the audio track in a specific place in the audio space.

Playing 3D on headphones

In general, any stereo recording mixed using monitors is already 3D Stereo, with the only difference being that the panorama is set from the front and not around.

But if, when listening from a stereo pair from monitors, we use the binaural hearing aid to the fullest extent, then in headphones the sound is heard inside the head. This is due to the lack of cross-talk due to the separation of the right and left channels. I think this problem can be easily corrected with the help of a software layer and algorithms for the DSP, and such a function will inevitably appear (if it has not already appeared) and will be widely used in the form of a headphone mode.

The article turned out to be quite brief, at the same time with dense information that requires time to comprehend. I hope it was interesting.