Immersive Audio and How to Achieve It


100% of music listeners prefer live music to recorded playback, why? A live performance "immerses" you and frees you up to move around the room, the dance floor and still be immersed. The goal posts have moved away from two speakers to an array of speakers all around as well as above you to reproduce the illusion of a LIVE performance. Why, in 2023, would anyone voluntarily use only two speakers to recreate this illusion of a live performance in a large room?

Even the artists themselves are using immersive audio in concert to WOW their audience, why not do it at home:

https://www.mixonline.com/live-sound/venues/on-the-cover-las-vegas-takes-immersive-live-part-1

 

kota1

@brianlucey 

You are the only member I know that has an analog immersive setup, any thoughts?

@kota1 A. I have 50 ch of analog processing and that is NOT an analog immersive setup. B. There is no contest between stereo and atmos/spatial, they are parallel deliverables, so please leave me out of your agenda :) My stereo speakers are Evolution Acoustics MM3 w Exact filters, Crane Song Avocet monitor controller, Bricasti M1 SE DA, Allnic Audio A-6000 monos. I am all about stereo. Those things are integrated into a 7.1.4 room with more Evolution Acoustics Micro Ones, more M1SE and Parasound A51 x 2. I would not do 7.1.4 without Trinnov.

Thanks Brian, BTW, nice interview re: you and Magic Garden Mastering, noted your request too, thanks for the reply:

https://vintageking.com/blog/2022/03/magic-garden-mastering

@kota1:

I can appreciate what you’re driving at: the sensation of sound from everywhere is enticing.  However, I think you’ve mistaken the intent of such systems.  Surround isn’t necessarily to immerse or envelope, or engulf a listener.  The original, (and I believe still), intent was to recreate the sounds projected from a scene consisting of elements that are placed in areas requiring those sound signatures (AKA, a helicopter fly-over, or a fast-approaching car coming up from the rear.  But as for music, the band, orchestra, fiddle player, torch singer, is IN FRONT of you.  Roger Waters may love hearing his guitar reverberate around the room, but that is a sound effect that doesn’t require Atmos, just walls and ceilings in a good hall, or room.  Finally, I feel “immersed” in music that is well-produced, and frankly, which engages me.  All the sonic tricks in the book, including floating drum kits and saxophones on the ceiling, can’t make me like bad music.  I have a 7.2 SOTA  system for films and TV.  But my jewel is my  (near) SOTA 2.2 stereo music system.  I’ll leave it at that.

"100% of music listeners prefer live music to recorded playback..."

I certainly don’t.