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Collected Best of Bob Pariseau
Home Theater audio systems are sufficiently complicated it can be quite daunting when something goes wrong. Where do you begin? Has something failed? Did I accidentally screw up a setting. Is it SUPPOSED to sound this way?
In this post we'll discuss some logical steps towards diagnosing audio failures.
Read moreOne of the key upgrades with the coming of Surround Sound audio systems was the addition of the Center speaker; providing anchored sound centered right at the screen. For example, for dialog.
But it turns out Home Theater, Center speakers end up getting fried out of proportion to all the other speakers! The culprit is excess bass. In this post I'll explain why that happens, and what to do to protect against it.
Read moreThis is the first of my Quick Tip posts. These will include tips, tricks, or suggestions which don't need a lot of background discussion, or detailed explanation.
Pretty much regardless of the type of speakers you get, the output of your speakers will become more and more "directional" as you go up in frequency. This makes speaker pointing a consideration in your audio setup.
Read moreIt used to be so SIMPLE, back in 1898, when Francis Barraud painted his brother's dog, Nipper, staring intently into the brass horn of a wind up phonograph and hearing, His Master's Voice!
One audio channel. One speaker. One dog. And one enduring trademark!
One has to wonder how Nipper might react to today's Dolby Atmos installations for Home Theater (or any of its competitors); a technology designed to support up to 24 speakers at ear level, a special bass audio channel, and 10 ADDITIONAL "height" speakers overhead! Would Nipper still stare in wonder? Or would he dive under the sofa?
The answer to that question likely revolves around how INTELLIGENTLY those speakers were used! In particular, what if the content you are playing has a different number of audio channels from the number the speakers you have installed? This is the realm of audio Downmix and Surround Sound Processing, and that's our topic for today.
Read moreMost Home Theater setups these days will include some variant on Surround Sound speakers. Indeed, a major factor in the enjoyment of modern movies at home is the ability to hear an "aggressive" Surround Sound mix as it was INTENDED to be heard: With key sounds originating from specific points all around you, and with blended sounds, such as the musical score, filling the entire sound field.
In this post I'll discuss the two most common ways people screw this up, and how to avoid doing that!
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