restorer-john
Grand Contributor
Nope ...
... and nope.
I said 2D for simplification purpose, but in reality, it's only 1D.
Let's introduce some similarity with geometry.
If you draw a line between 2 points, you have 1D (one axis), as in our case (2 point sources), so you can locate a sound from 100% left to 100% right. That is if you were in a 100% anechoic environment.
Depth (2D) needs a second axis to become real.
3D needs to introduce a third axis which is height.
Back to 2D and 3D: from lack of real additional sound source(s)(read axes), we have wall, floor and ceiling reflections, but they have nothing in common neither with real sources, nor with what the sound engineer did to give us some psychoacoutic clues for an illusion of depth.
Reflections are an altered image of our 2 primary sound sources. Think of it as 2 lights in a mirror box with black floor and ceiling. you could see multiple images of your light sources, but it is in fact the same source. We need additional information from behind, not an altered and delayed copy of the front (reflection from the wall behind the sound sources).
I said altered copies because:
- wall absorption properties alter the spectrum of the incoming sound from the speaker (same for front and ceiling)
- the spectrum sent by the speaker varies according to its directivity (except for some true omnidirectional speakers)
Oh,and did I mention comb filtering due to interference between 2 coherent sources ?
Let's face the truth: recorded music is a projection performed by the sound engineer of a 3D environment to a simple line (1D) in front of you.
Photography is a 2D projection of a 3D environment, where depth is also an illusion, depending on the skills of the photographer.
Ah the skills of the recording engineer ...
Nope.
Stereo means 3D. Comes from the Greek word "stereos" meaning solid.
Stereo reproduction (audio) is all about 3 dimensions, always was, always will be. Otherwise it's just 2 channel monophonic.
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