User manual TERRATEC PRACTICE TIPS SURROUND

[. . . ] Regardless, for many HiFi fans it was simply unacceptable to forego the additional surround sound provided by the rear stereo speakers. Too impressive were the acoustic experiences of the movie theatres, what with their shoot-outs buzzing past your ears and the last resonate clang of an acoustic guitar raising the hair on your arms as if you were standing right next to the band ­ there simply had to be more to hold ones attention. In the film industry, and in particular in movie theatres, numerous tricks had already been implemented to achieve better sound (the freaks among us may remember the analogue and digital marks in the perforation of film roles) and more than two audio tracks. And even as the dawn of VHS came upon the earth, we were forced to suffer longer at home ­ these techniques simply weren't useable in the home cinema world. SixPack 5. 1+ / DMX 6Fire 24/96 Praxistips V0. 1 (c) 2002 TerraTec Electronic GmbH, Manfred Dreese The Standards In the consumer field an interesting idea from Dolby Labs quickly established itself, implementing a surround channel (with substantial quality loss) into a stereo signal. [. . . ] Full frequency band for the rear right speaker. Special effects channel for a subwoofer. This is not the subwoofer channel that supports the other speakers. Sound is only produced here under certain circumstances. Additionally this output is limited to low frequencies and cannot produce , , normal" sounds. Take note however, that AC3 tracks are not limited to the standard , , 3:2:1 streams, , (three front sources, two rear, and a subwoofer channel). There are also AC3 tracks that only contain stereo data (2:0:0), where a Dolby Surround decoder is then recommended. Most likely though, the number of simple stereo DVDs will remain small as the original film material typically exists in 5. 1 format and the quality of such a stereo AC3 stream is inferior to a stereo PCM stream (i. e. The DSP This is all only applicable when a PC or DVD delivers the audio in surround format. What happen then, when a film or audio stream containing only simple stereo is played on the PC?Many users wonder why the stereo signal is typically only played back over the front speaker pair although the amplifier is actually surround capable. The reason is grounded in the fact that surround receivers weren't designed to blindly provide rear channel support at the cost of possibly distorting the volume, location, and phase properties of the original signal. The rear channel should either be used solely in conjunction with surround signals - or not at all. But of course since the invent of digital receivers there is another option. Labelled an inapt trick by purists and an optimal stereo expansion technique by beginners, this feature carries the name DSP. These modes, with help of the DSPs (Digital Signal Processors) turn a stereo stream into a multi-channel stream by simply adding a hall signal to the original, thereby obliging an external receiver, DVD player, or soundcard to insert this into the original material. The Terratec SixPack / 6Fire soundcards posses another function for cases where an external amplifier is unable to accept this so-called Phantom Mode signal. This allows the source Worthy of careful consideration: The SixPack 3D Source Positioning SixPack 5. 1+ / DMX 6Fire 24/96 Praxistips V0. 1 (c) 2002 TerraTec Electronic GmbH, Manfred Dreese positioning of a single stereo stream to be freely distributed among the front and rear speakers. This is achieved in the SixPack control panel under 3D->Source Positioning, and in the 6Fire control panel under Surround->Sensaura 3D. The Source of all the Racket The Speakers The sound must, of course, be produced somehow. Optimally this occurs over large speakers, capable of affecting a lot of air. Here there are several standards as well, like the various THX certifications, though the smallest THX Select standard is most likely the only affordable home cinema solution. Subwoofer Systems The subwoofer satellite systems have established themselves in the home arena. This technique implements a bass-box for the , , booms", and small satellite speakers, which can typically be hidden, provide the rest of the sound. [. . . ] And that's where the subwoofer finds its new home. Be warned, subwoofer suitable positions are often found in places one would not expect. . . Body Shakers and other Tuning Methods Another interesting add-on is the so-called Body Shaker, which is normally mounted under the seat. Should the player hear a weapon fired from the rear they can easily locate the positioning and (should) swiftly react accordingly :) Audio-CDs Title Ronan Hardiman , , Solas" Yello Motion Picture DVDs Title Titanic Comment Constant implementation of Surround-Sound provides an excellent 3D listening experience when an external ProLogic amplifier is used. [. . . ]