Dimensional sound recording and apparatus and method for producing the same

A method of producing a dimensionalized sound recording adapted to utilize stereo signals which are characterized in that said signals are nonbinaural signals having either a phase shift relationship between corresponding signal components, which phase shift relationship has a time delay distance greater than a time delay distance of a binaural phase shift for an ear spacing distance of a listener, or an amplitude difference greater than binaural amplitude differences of corresponding signal components, where the sound recording is adapted to be used in conjunction with a stereo player and a pair of speakers, where the following conditions exist:

• a. there is a playing area,
• b. in said playing area there is a forward transmitting area where there are right and left speakers connected to said stereo player and positioned at right and left speaker locations on a base axis and spaced from one another on said base axis by a speaker spacing distance,
• c. there is a longitudinal axis positioned equally distant from said speaker locations and perpendicular to said base axis,
• d. there is a listening area at the center of which is a listening location positioned on said longitudinal axis rearwardly of said base axis,
• e. there is a right listening axis extending from said listening location to said right speaker location at a right listening angle to said longitudinal axis,
• f. there is a left listening axis extending from said listening location to said left speaker location at a left listening angle to said longitudinal axis,
• g. there are right and left ear locations corresponding to right and left ear positions of a person's head which could be located at said listening location and facing forwardly along said longitudinal axis to said base axis, said right and left ear locations being spaced from one another by an ear spacing distance,
• said method comprising:
• a. directing a left stereo signal to left input means,
• b. directing a right stereo signal to right input means,
• c. transmitting a left main signal component, corresponding and similar to the left stereo signal, to a left signal output means,
• d. transmitting a right main signal component, corresponding to and similar to the right stereo signal, to a right signal output means,
• e. producing from said left stereo signal an inverted and delayed left to right compensating signal, corresponding to said left stereo signal, and transmitting said left to right compensating signal to said right signal output means,
• f. producing from said right stereo signal an inverted and delayed right to left compensating signal, corresponding to said right stereo signal, and transmitting said right to left compensating signal to said left signal output means,
• g. said two compensating signals each being delayed relative to corresponding main signal components by a time delay period within a predetermined time delay range,
• h. directing right and left audio signals from said right and left signal output means to a stereo recorder to produce a sound recording having right and left information channels, said left information channel comprising said left main signal component and said right to left compensating signal, and said right information chanel comprising said right main signal component and said left to right compensating signal,
• the steps of said method being so arranged and related to one another in a manner that when said sound recording is played on a stereo player connected to right and left speakers, said left information channel produces sound in the left speaker and said right information channel produces sound in the right speaker, so that the following occurs
• a. there is a left audio output having a main left sound component and a right to left compensating sound component, said left audio output having a primary path component from said left speaker to said left ear location, and a secondary path component from said left speaker to said right ear location,
• b. there is a right audio output having a main right sound component and a left to right compensating component, said right audio output having a primary path component from said right speaker to said right ear location, and a secondary path component from said right speaker location to said left ear location,
• c. the main left sound component reaches the left ear without being cancelled to a substantial amount,
• d. the right main sound component reaches the right ear location without being cancelled to a substantial amount,
• e. the main left sound component travelling its secondary path to said right ear location is cancelled to a substantial amount by the left to right compensating sound component travelling on the primary path from said right speaker to said right ear location,
• f. the main right sound component travelling on the secondary path from said right speaker to said left ear location is cancelled to a substantial amount by the right to left compensating sound component travelling from said left speaker along the left primary path to the left ear location,
• whereby a person positioned so that the person's head is at the listening location facing along the longitudinal axis toward the transmitting area hears a dimensionalized sound with apparent sound sources being outside of the transmitting area of the two speakers.

An apparatus for producing a dimensionalized sound recording adapted to utilize stereo signals which are characterized in that said signals are non-binaural signals having either a phase shift relationship between corresponding signal components, which phase shift relationship has a time delay distance greater than a time delay distance of a binaural phase shift for an ear spacing distance of a listener, or an amplitude difference greater than binaural amplitude differences of corresponding signal components, where the sound recording is adapted to be used in conjunction with a stereo player and a pair of speakers, where the following conditions exist:

• a. there is a forward transmitting area where there are right and left speaker locations,
• b. there is a listening area with a listening location positioned rearwardly of said playing area,
• c. there are right and left ear locations corresponding to right and left ear positions of a person's head which could be located at said listening location and facing forwardly toward said playing area
• said apparatus comprising:
• a. left main transmitting means to receive a left stereo signal and provide a left main stereo output signal,
• b. a right main transmitting means to receive a right stereo signal and provide a right main stereo output signal,
• c. a left to right compensating means to receive said left stereo signal to produce an inverted left to right compensating signal corresponding to said left stereo signal,
• d. a right to left compensating means to receive said right stereo signal to produce an inverted right to left compensating signal corresponding to said right stereo signal,
• e. left output means to receive said left main stereo output signal and said right to left compensating signal to produce a left output comprising:
• 1. a left main component corresponding to said left main stereo output signal,
• 2. a right to left compensating component corresponding to said right to left compensating signal,
• f. right output means to receive said right main stereo output signal and said left to right compensating signal to produce a right output comprising:
• 1. a right main component corresponding to said right main stereo output signal,
• 2. a left to right compensating component corresponding to said left to right compensating signal,
• g. said compensating means and said output means being arranged such that, each of said two compensating components has a predetermined time delay distance relative to its corresponding main component within a predetermined time delay range,
• h. a stereo recording device arranged relative to said left and right output means to receive said left and right outputs and produce a stereo sound recording incorporating said left and right outputs as left and right recorded signals,
• the means of said apparatus being constructed, arranged and related to one another in a manner that said left recorded signal incorporates said left main component and said right to left compensating component, and said right recorded signal incorporates said right main component and said left to right compensating component, so that when said stereo recording is played on a stereo player connected to right and left speakers, said left recorded signal drives the left speaker and said right recorded signal drives the right speaker so that the following occurs
• a. there is a left audio output having a main left sound component and a right to left compensating sound component, said left audio output having a primary path component from said left speaker to said left ear location, and a secondary path component from said left speaker to said right ear location,
• b. there is a right audio output having a main right sound component and a left to right compensating sound component, said right audio output having a primary path component from said right speaker location to said right ear location, and a secondary path component from said right speaker location to said left ear location,
• c. the main left sound component reaches the left ear location without being cancelled to a substantial amount,
• d. the right main sound component reaches the right ear location without being cancelled to a substantial amount,
• e. the main left sound component travelling its secondary path to said right ear location is cancelled to a substantial amount by the left to right compensating sound component travelling on the primary path from said right speaker to said right ear location,
• f. the main right sound component travelling on the secondary path from said right speaker to said left ear location is cancelled to a substantial amount by the right to left compensating sound component travelling from said left speaker along the left primary path to the left ear location,
• whereby a person positioned so that the person's head is at the listening location facing along the longitudinal axis toward the transmitting area hears a dimensionalized sound with apparent sound sources being outside of the transmitting area of the two speakers.

A method of producing a dimensionalized sound recording adapted to utilize stereo signals which are characterized in that said signals are non-binaural signals having either a phase shift relationship between corresponding signal components, which phase shift relationship has a time delay distance greater than a time delay distance of a binaural phase shift for an ear spacing distance of a listener, or an amplitude difference greater than binaural amplitude differences of corresponding signal components, where the sound recording is adapted to be used in conjunction with a stereo player and a pair of speakers, where the following conditions exist:

• a. there is a forward playing area where there are right and left speaker locations,
• b. there is a listening area with a listening location positioned rearwardly of said playing area,
• c. there are right and left ear locations corresponding to right and left ear positions of a person's head which could be located at said listening location and facing forwardly toward said playing area said method comprising:
• a. receiving a left stereo signal and providing a left main stereo output signal,
• b. receiving a right stereo signal and providing a right main stereo output signal,
• c. providing an inverted left to right compensating signal corresponding to said left stereo signal,
• d. providing an inverted right to left compensating signal corresponding to said right stereo signal,
• e. transmitting said left main stereo output signal and said right to left compensating signal to left output means to produce a left output comprising:
• 1. a left main component corresponding to said left main stereo output signal,
• 2. a right to left compensating component corresponding to said right to left compensating signal,
• f. transmitting said right main stereo output signal and said left to right compensating signal to right output means to produce a right output comprising:
• 1. a right main component corresponding to said right main stereo output signal,
• 2. a left to right compensating component corresponding to said left to right compensating signal,
• g. each of said two compensating components having a predetermined time delay distance relative to its corresponding main component within a predetermined time delay range,
• h. directing right and left outputs from said right and left output means to a stereo recorder to produce a sound recording having right and left information channels, said left information channel incorporating said left main component and said right to left compensating component, and said right information channel incorporating said right main component and said left to right compensating component,
• the steps of said method being so arranged and related to one another in a manner that when said sound recording is played on a stereo player connected to right and left speakers, said left information channel produces sound in the left speaker and said right information channel produces sound in the right speaker, so that the following occurs
• a. there is a left audio output having a main left sound component and a right to left compensating sound component, said left audio output having a primary path component from said left speaker to said left ear location, and a secondary path component from said left speaker to said right ear location,
• b. there is a right audio output having a main right sound component and a left to right compensating component, said right audio output having a primary path component from said right speaker to said right ear location, and a secondary path component from said right speaker location to said left ear location,
• c. the main left sound component reaches the left ear without being cancelled to a substantial amount,
• d. the main right sound component reaches the right ear location without being cancelled to a substantial amount,
• e. the main left sound component travelling its secondary path to said right ear location is cancelled to a substantial amount by the left to right compensating sound component travelling on the primary path from said right speaker to said right ear location,
• f. the main right sound component travelling on the secondary path from said right speaker to said left ear location is cancelled to a substantial amount by the right to left compensating sound component travelling from said left speaker along the left primary path to the left ear location,
• whereby a person positioned so that the person's head is at the listening location facing along the longitudinal axis toward the transmitting area hears a dimensionalized sound with apparent sound sources being outside of the transmitting area of the two speakers.