ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses broader concepts and introduces practical mixing techniques for engineers working with immersive sound. Immersive sound can give the listener an experience of being there through sound. The book discusses the principles of object-based audio and describes audio objects, their representation, advanced metadata, audio object capture, and rendering. It takes the reader on a historical journey across immersive sound starting with the impact of immersive sound on our prehistoric ancestors, through the use of spatial separation of instruments and choirs as a compositional tool in the 15th century, to modern-age techniques and technologies of immersive sound. The book introduces stereo loudspeaker systems and discusses techniques of sound capture, reproduction, and methods of stereo enhancement. It also discusses the evolution and principles of surround sound, with speakers located on the horizontal plane.
