ABSTRACT
Stereo systems are designed to create the illusion of a spatial sound scene with directional sound sources localized between two or more loudspeakers placed in front of the listener. Snow observed that binaural systems transport the listener to the scene of the recording whereas stereo systems transport the sound sources to the listener's room. This chapter explores methods used to capture, create, playback, and enhance stereo programs. A stereo system can create a realistic illusion of directional sounds arriving from across the horizontal plane in front of the listener, bounded by two or more loudspeakers—and even beyond. Stereo programs can contain complex inter-channel phase, level, and spectral relationships. Stereo microphone techniques and/or signal processing equipment can use one or a combination of these relationships to encode directional and spatial information into a 2-channel stereo program. This spatial information can be used to imitate a natural listening experience or to create perceived alternative sonic environments for a listener.
