Mono, stereo, multi-channel

[thefsb]

Mono is single channel.

Stereo is multi-channel.

Right?

 

[RayDunzl]

Two (or more) engines require a multi-engine rating for pilots, so, sure.

https://www.jaair.com/2019/06/07/requirements-multi-engine-rating/

multi-
combining form
more than one; many, especially variegated.

 

[mhardy6647]

well, in my line of work, we use: mono (one), oligo (a few), poly (many) -- Greek prefixes.
e.g.,
monosaccharide
oligosaccharide
polysaccharide

That doesn't help at all, does it?



Stereo is from the Greek for solid -- the goal of stereophonic reproduction was actually a three-dimensional recreation of a sound field!
(cf. stereo vision or stereochemistry)

The amusing fact is: most stereo recordings (at least in terms of "pop" music) for decades have been what I (and other folks) refer to as multi-track mono, where many different mics or amplifier feeds are recorded to separate 'tracks' (a vestige of analog tape recording, of course!). Some engineer or producer then mixes those multiple tracks together into a two-track master. What makes it amusing, to me, is when folks talk about the soundstage that they hear reproduced in these altogether artifactually assembled two-channel reproductions!

Sorry, this is just one of my many pet peeves nonlinearities.

There are true stereo recordings, but they're few and far between (and usually pretty astonishing, when properly reproduced).
And then there's the special case of binaural recordings for headphones
(not to mention Bob Carver's Sonic Holography and Matthew Polk's Stereo Dimensional Array)

 

[thefsb]

What's confusing is what appears to be use of "multi-channel" specifically to refer to something with more than two channels.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Mono is single channel.
Stereo is multi-channel.
Right?

It should be.

What's confusing is what appears to be use of "multi-channel" specifically to refer to something with more than two channels.

Historical error.

 

[0bs3rv3r]

Maybe the AV terminology is now best.

1.0 mono
2.0 two-channel - stereo
2.1 adding a sub
5.1.2 five channel, sub, and two height channels

https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/...nd-Sound-Speakers-Dolby-Atmos-and-DTS-X.shtml

 

[Dimifoot]

Mono/Stereo=oligochannel

 

[andreasmaaan]

Here's something I didn't expect:

 

[mhardy6647]

Maybe the AV terminology is now best.

1.0 mono
2.0 two-channel - stereo
2.1 adding a sub
5.1.2 five channel, sub, and two height channels

https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/...nd-Sound-Speakers-Dolby-Atmos-and-DTS-X.shtml

Fibonacci-HT seems like it's right around the corner...
0.1.1.2.3.5 channel

... and, needless to say, Steve Martin was a visionary.

(some bad language in this clip, my apologies)

 

[Audioagnostic]

It all went down the drain when quadraphonic recordings werd discontinued.

To avoid non existing confusion I will adopt the biomedical nomenclature from now on and will call my living room setup dichannel, trichannel if I decide to add a sub.

The home theater setup will be referred to as my pentachannel system.

 

[sergeauckland]

It all went down the drain when quadraphonic recordings werd discontinued.

To avoid non existing confusion I will adopt the biomedical nomenclature from now on and will call my living room setup dichannel, trichannel if I decide to add a sub.

The home theater setup will be referred to as my pentachannel system.

Quadraphonics is alive and well in my home system.

I party like it's 1975!

Like far out man.

http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-SQD-2020.html

S.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

It all went down the drain when quadraphonic recordings werd discontinued.

Even earlier, when quadraphonic recordings were introduced.

 

[mjwin]

[...]The amusing fact is: most stereo recordings (at least in terms of "pop" music) for decades have been what I (and other folks) refer to as multi-track mono, where many different mics or amplifier feeds are recorded to separate 'tracks' (a vestige of analog tape recording, of course!). Some engineer or producer then mixes those multiple tracks together into a two-track master. What makes it amusing, to me, is when folks talk about the soundstage that they hear reproduced in these altogether artifactually assembled two-channel reproductions!

A.K.A. "Pan-pot stereo".
And the "imaging" is just the vocalist hanging on an invisible thread somewhere between the two speakers. A fun party trick & more noticeable when using very directional speakers IMO.

 

[Audioagnostic]

Quadraphonics is alive and well in my home system.

I party like it's 1975!

Like far out man.

http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-SQD-2020.html

S.

Cool. I enjoy the occasional far out quad recording. Some Santana recordings have the guitar moving around the channels for instance.

I play rips through a raspberry pi and AVR through...

 

[Audioagnostic]

Even earlier, when quadraphonic recordings were introduced.

I think some digital transfers of the old recordings can be quite good though. I like deep purple, machine head as an example.

 

[mhardy6647]

I think it's been nigh-on four decades since I listened to my purchased-new (vinyl) copy of Machine Head.
Might have to give that a spin some time soon(ish)...

 

[HansHolland]

I prefer mono!
But unfortunately most stereo recordings are not mono compatibel.