ABSTRACT
In traditional two-channel stereophonic recording, a simulated center-channel image will exist when identical signals from the left and right speakers are produced and the listener sits out in front and equidistant from both systems. In early surround-sound systems, a simulated center could be created from the same input signals by means of electronic circuits in the playback hardware, such as what we have with Dolby Pro Logic, that “steer” identical left-plus-right signals to a discrete center feed. In this arrangement, there is no genuine center, per se, but the steering systems can simulate one quite effectively. More modern systems, such as Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS, SACD, and DVD-A, actually have a true center channel (as well as discrete surround channels), and with proper recording techniques the addition of a center can greatly enhance soundstaging, imaging, and overall realism, particularly for listeners who are not sitting in the “sweet spot” that is centered up out in front of the front speakers.
