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Hi, I’m Dongyoon. Today, I will tell you why people use stereo format instead of surround format.

There has been a lot of evolution in audio technology. History of recording started with Thomas Edison. With his phonograph, the history of recording is began. The first recording equipment, phonograph, has just one horn. That means, it has only one speaker. Even a few years later, after microphone was invented, people still used only one mic and speaker. This technique had been used for the first of the recording history.

However, after multitrack recorder was invented, people started using two speakers. This was beginning of the stereo format.

The time passed on, people starting to use more than just two speakers. 4.1 channel, 5.1 channel, 7.1 channel, maybe you have been seen these term when you go to cinema, and even some people using more than 20 speakers to surround format. There are so many surround format, but we still use stereo format in music. Why?

I think surround format won’t be able to replace stereo format in music industry, because of its simplicity, its memory capacity, and ergonomics.

The first point is simple. When we go outside and walk around, we usually use earphone or headphone. In these days, most earphone and headphone are based on stereo format. Of course some headphone is for surround format, but have you seen surround headphone before? Most of them have huge size units, so they are too heavy to use for a long time. Furthermore, earphone is getting smaller and smaller, and people don’t prefer to use headphone at outside anymore.

Moreover, even inside the house, stereo format is much simple. To connect one speaker, you need two cables. One for power, and one for audio signal.

Then, if you have 24 speakers to listen surround sound, this is actually one of surround format, named 22.2 channel, you need 44 cables. 

And even price of the speakers is too expensive. One of famous speaker named 8010A’s price is 350$ per each, even this is one of cheapest one in this brand. These reasons are why I think stereo format is simple to use.

The next, stereo format files need low memory. When you listening to music, you probably use streaming application, or download it. Let me think about the situation you use streaming app. It is okay when you are using unlimited data plan, but if you use limited data plan, using a lot of data can bother you. How about other side? Download lots of music with slow internet makes you angry. In this situation, it is better for you to download light file instead of heavy one. Then, it is important how to calculate the memory of file.

To know the memory, you need to know a lot of factor like bit depth, sampling rate, and the length of the song. Thinking simply, if you listen to the 44.1kHz, 16bit, and 3 minutes song, the memory of 1channel audio file is approximately 15Mb(Mega Byte). Then when you listen to stereo music, you need 30Mb per song. However, when you try to listen to the surround music, the memory of music file gets really big. If you listen 5.1 channel file, its memory is 90Mb, and if you download 22.2 channel music, it spends more than 360Mb. At this sight, using stereo format is better.

The last one is that stereo format is ergonomics. Human Have two ears. Stereo format was invented by the idea that human have two ears. For this reason, I think stereo format is ergonomical.

But some people think it is not, because of surround format. Surround format uses more speakers than stereo format to position the sound source exactly where it is. To use surround format, people can know the sound surly where it is. This looks better than stereo. I think, however, this is incorrect. Surround can makes people feel real. So, it takes people to the real place. But this is music. People listen to the music by the audience, not the musician. In movie, or game, surround is better. This is the movie named “Ready Player One.” This movie is about VR game. Like this, VR must need surround format. But in the music, it doesn’t. Most of the music stage is similar with proscenium theatre, which means stage like the frame. We just listen to the music, not being the musician. 

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” This is one of Einstein word. And one of my motto is “Simple is best.” Of course, complex can be better. But if simple thing is more efficiency, why do we use complex thing?

Mind gives many effect on sound. This affect is used in many ways to make music, or video better. The most famous using this psychoacoustics is cocktail party effect, masking, and mp3 format.

First is cocktail party effect. Imagine you are at the party. You are just enjoying the party. Suddenly, someone call your name. You might hear that call. Have you ever met this situation? This is cocktail party effect. Even if you are at the noisy place, you can hear what you focus. When you listen to EDM, you can separate kick drum, bass guitar, or hi-hat in the music.

Second thing is masking effect. Definition of masking effect is that low frequency sound make hard to listen high frequency sound. This because of the structure of the ear. So, people can’t high pitch sound when low sound played.

The last thing is mp3 format. The original sound recording format is usually WAVE ( .wav) format. This is really high memory format. So many people use mp3 format to listen to music. However, most of them don’t know how make wave to mp3. When mp3 encoder makes wave to mp3, it use masking effect and frequency response. First, cut too high, and too low frequency that people can’t hear, because people can hear only between 20 to 20000 Hz. And at next step, program analyze the music and cut the unheard sound that is based on masking effect. This is how mp3 files is made.

Mind and sound have really close relationship. Without psychology, we can’t make music, mix music, and do mastering music. If you think those effects have little importance, you have to fix you thinking.

Oh there is a console. Let me see… It looks like recording console. Oh, what? You said how do I know this? Simple. Look at how it is formed. There are two big sort of console form, split, and inline console.

There is a fader in a line. That one line is called strip. One strip can accept one signal at a time. At the start point of the strip, there is a preamp. Preamp makes weak mic signal strong. Next, there are some signal processor. EQ, or compressor are kinds of the signal processor. And you can see the fader at next. Fader is kind of resistor that can make the sound smaller.

After the fader, signal goes to master section. At there, signals from every strips are become one, and made to 2 track stereo signals. Finally, this 2 track signals go to speakers, and you can hear the sound.

On the other hand, some console have two fader in one strip. These are called inline console. When record sound, you need two strips to record one signal. But, as I said, one strip can only accept one signal. This makes recording console too big. So, people made two strips in one. This is inline console. 

What do you want to do to use console? Recording? Live concert? Choose your console.

Now, you are infn the recording studio. It’s time to record vocal! You have to choose mic, preamp. It’s on you to choose the best mic and preamp for singer. Oh, you already choose them? Let’s connect them.

First, you have to know the signal flow of the studio. Every studio has its own signal flow and if you miss it, some of gears can be destroyed. Then I will tell you the usual signal flow. First, mic. Mic makes the electric signal and it goes to preamp. Mic signal is too weak to use, so preamp makes mic level signal strong, which is called line level. Now we have strong enough signal. Wait a second. We use computer to record sound but computer uses only digital signal, and we have analog signal. We have to convert analog signal to digital signal. AD convertor does this work. Actually, AD means Analog to Digital. So, we finally record the sound. It is time to listen. play the recorded sound. Computer play the sound but we can’t hear it because it is digital signal. DA convertor makes digital signal to analog signal. Now, we have line level signal again. But it is too weak to move the speakers. That’s why we use power amp. Put the signal to power amp. After power amp, amplified signal can move speakers.

  This process is essential signal flow. You can put signal processor, and you can change this signal flow, based on basic. You are ready to record!

 Do you know Michael Jackson? Or how about Stevie Wonder? Those guys are very famous singer. However, do you know what microphone they used when they recorded their voice?

 Michael Jackson used Shure SM57 mic. This is cheap mic. Its price is only 100 dollar. One famous mic’s, named U87, price is over 5000 dollar. That’s weird. Why Michael Jackson only used 100 dollar mic? In fact, this mic is used in Barack Obama’s speech. If you were interested in mic, you could see black mic covered with black spongee when his speech. This mic’s sound is clear, and it pick high frequency well. And also Michael jackson’s voice has a lot of high frequency. That’s why He used SM57.

 However, Stevie Wonder used Electro-Voice(EV) RE20. Many people are used to record kick drum to use this mic. But when he recorded Superstition, he picked this mic to record. This is his one of famous mic.

 Plus, this is off the record, do you know why Stevie Wonder wrote “Isn’t she lovely?”. Maybe you know he is blind. When he married and got his daughter, he really wanted to see his baby. He told his doctor, but the doctor said, “I can do operation to you, but you can see only a few minute.” But he agreed with that, and he did surgery. After surgery, he can saw his daughter, and he became blind again. The girl that in the song “Isn’t she lovely?” is his daughter. 

Before you start learning sound, let’s think about where you work later. Look at the photo. There is one of music studio. When you go to large size studio, you may be surprised with large size console. If you are interested in audio engineering, you should have seen this big, huge machine. In front of the console, there is a window. That window link control room (where engineer is) and studio (where musician is). At the side, you can see two pairs of speakers. Of course, it is okay to have only one pair of speakers, but if you have more than one pair, it is good for objective listen. On music studio, you need two speakers at least, but if you want to go to film studio, you might need more than three or four speakers. At the left side of console (you cannot see in the picture), there are some outboards, like pre-amp, compressor, or somethings. And let’s think about the walls. Studio usually has special wall. It can help you to listen to music objectelly. It is mostly thick fabrics, or wood. Last one is computer monitor. Almost every studio use DAW like protools, or cubase these days, so you must need computer (usually Mac) and monitor. This is usual scene when you enter the studio. Can you imagine how the studio looks like?

When I choose my major, I have to select what to do. There are three part of audio engineering. Each of it is studio, sound reinforcement, and post production.

Studio is the work about music. Choosing this part, it means you will recording instrument, and vocal, you will mix the music, and you will mastering the music. If you like music, it is good for you to select studio part. Next, sound reinforcement, as known as SR, is the similar meaning with public address ,known as PA. In Full Sail university, We learn it at show production major. Of you like to go to music stage, and if you want to feel the musicians, and audiences fever, this part is just fit with you. At last, If you like watching movie, or animation, or if you like playing video game, it is good for you to choose post production, as known as PP. As the name is, this is the ‘post’ of the production. You will record dialogue, you will make the FX sound, or mastering the product.

This blog is about every sound you can recognized. From how can you hear the sound to how the music is made. I will put everything you want to know in here. I am going to write my every knowledge, and research at here for my study, and for the reader.

So, the first. What is the sound. In one word, sound is vibration. If vibration travel through the air, or other material, and touch the ear’s membrane, we can hear the “Sound”. Like this, definition of the sound is easy, and familiar. But if you study deeply, sound is not just the vibration. It can be changed by your mind, your circumstance, or your condition.

Also it can make you touched by being media like music, firm, or animation. It can make you cry, happy, or blue.

Easy, but difficult. That’s the Sound.

Now. Let’s travel the sound with dynamic vibration.