Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers ( Volume: 61, Issue: 5, November 1953)

[ACTIVE]

Basic Principles of Stereophonic Sound

Metadata

Publisher: SMPTE — White Plains, NY, USA
Doc Type: Journal Article
Content Type: Original Research
Abbreviated Title: J SMPTE
Volume: 61, No. 5, pp. 567–589
Abstract: Stereophonic sound has become of vital importance to industry. The subject has been studied for many years, but the published material is scattered. This paper summarizes the fundamental theory underlying stereophonic sound so far as it has been published, and gives examples of how the theory is employed in representative practical situations. Fundamental differences between ordinary binaural listening and stereophony are pointed out, as well as similarities. It is shown that much qualitative but little quantitative information has been reported. Factors which aid some stereophonic effects are shown to be detrimental to others, and methods of minimizing the undesirable conditions are suggested. Applications to recording are discussed.
Publication Date: 1953-11-01
DOI: 10.5594/J00963
ISSN: Print: 0898-042X
Link: https://doi.org/10.5594/J00963
Author(s): William B. SnowConsultant in Acoustics, 1011 Georgina Ave., Santa Monica, Calif.
Copyright: © 1953 Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Inc.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

Progress in Three-Dimensional Films at the Festival of Britain [Active]
The Cash Customers at the Festival of Britain Telecinema [Active]
Analysis of Sound-Film Drives [Active]
Stereophonic Recording and Reproducing System [Active]
Loudspeakers and Amplifiers for Use with Stereophonic Reproduction in the Theater [Active]
Stereophonic Recording and Reproducing Equipment [Active]
New Theater Sound System for Multipurpose Use [Active]
A Commercial Binaural Recorder [Active]
The Stereophonic Sound-Film System—General Theory [Active]
Experiment in Stereophonic Sound [Active]
1. Bell A. G. , “Experiments relating to binaural audition,” Am. J. Otol. , July 1880 . EXTERNAL
10. Vermeulen R. , “Duplication of concerts,” 10 , no. 6 : 169 , Dec. 1948 . EXTERNAL
11. Stewart G. W. , “The function of intensity and phase in binaural location of pure tones,” Phys. Rev. : 425 , May 1920 . EXTERNAL
12. Hartley R. V. L. Fry T. C. , “The binaural localization of pure tones,” Phys. Rev. , 18 : 431 , Dec. 1921 . EXTERNAL
13. King W. G. Laird D. A. , “The effect of noise intensity and pattern on locating sounds,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. , 2 , no. 1 : 99 , July 1930 . EXTERNAL
14. Meyer E. , “Stereoacoustics,” E.T.Z. , 46 : 805 , May 28, 1925 . EXTERNAL
15. Holt-Hansen K. , “Researches on the localization of sound,” Z. Psych. , 120 : 209 , 1931 . EXTERNAL
16. Shaxby J. H. Gage F. H. , “Studies in localization of sound, a, the localization of sounds in the median plane,” Special Report Series 166, Medical Research Council, London, circa 1933 . EXTERNAL
17. Wallach H. Newman E. B. Rosenzweig M. R. , “The precedence effect in sound localization,” Am. J. Psych. , 62 , no. 3 : 315 , July 1949 . EXTERNAL
18. Moir J. Leslie J. A. , “Stereophonic reproduction of speech and music,” J. Brit. I.R.E. , 12 , no. 6 : 360 , June 1952 . EXTERNAL
19. Doolittle F. M. , U. S. Patent 1,817,177 (Aug. 1931 ) and U.S. Patent 2,126,370 (Aug. 1938). EXTERNAL
2. Fletcher H. , “Hearing, the determining factor for high fidelity transmission,” Proc. I. R. E. , 30 : 266 , June 1942 . 3-10: A series of articles published in the Philips Technical Review :. EXTERNAL
20. Foley E. H. , U.S. Patent 1,589,139 (June 1926 ). EXTERNAL
21. Conly John M. , “Hearing with both ears,” The Atlantic , 89 , Feb. 1953 . EXTERNAL
22. Sivian L. J. White S. D. , “Minimum audible sound fields,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. : Apr. 1933 . EXTERNAL
23. Maxfield J. P. , “Some physical factors affecting the illusion in sound motion pictures,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. : July 1931 . EXTERNAL
24. Frayne J. G. Wolfe H. , Sound Recording , John Wiley and Sons , New York , 1949 . EXTERNAL
25. Knudsen V. O. Harris C. M. , Acoustical Designing in Architecture , John Wiley and Sons , New York , 1950 . 26 – 31 : Symposium on Reproduction in Auditory Perspective published in Elec. Eng., 53 : 9, Jan. 1934; and in Bell Sys. Tech. J. , Apr. 1934. EXTERNAL
26. Fletcher Harvey , “Basic requirements.” (Reprinted in Jour. SMPTE, 61 : 415 – 419 , Sept. 1953 .). EXTERNAL
27. Steinberg J. C. Snow W. B. , “Physical factors.” (Reprinted in Jour. SMPTE, 61 : 420 – 430 , Sept. 1953 .). EXTERNAL
28. Wente E. C. Thuras A. L. , “Loudspeakers and microphones.” (Reprinted in Jour. SMPTE, 61 : 431 – 446 , Sept. 1953 .). EXTERNAL
29. Scriven E. O. , “Amplifiers.” . EXTERNAL
3. de Boer K. Vermeulen R. , “On improving of defective hearing,” 4 , no. 1 : 317 , Nov. 1939 . EXTERNAL
30. Affel H. A. Chesnut R. W. Mills R. H. , “Transmission lines.” . EXTERNAL
32. Fletcher Harvey , “General theory.” . EXTERNAL
33. Wente E. C. Biddulph R. Elmer L. A. Anderson A. B. , “Mechanical and optical equipment.” . EXTERNAL
34. Steinberg J. C. , “Pre- and post-equalization of compandor systems.” . EXTERNAL
35. Snow W. B. Soffel A. R. , “Electrical equipment.” . EXTERNAL
36. Wente E. C. Biddulph R. , “A light valve.” . EXTERNAL
37. Wente E. C. Müller A. H. , “Internally damped rollers.” . EXTERNAL
38. Elmer L. A. , “A non-cinching film rewind machine.” . EXTERNAL
4. de Boer K. , “Stereophonic sound reproduction,” 5 , no. 4 : 107 , Apr. 1940 . EXTERNAL
40. Lovell C. A. , U. S. Patent 2,261,628 (Nov. 1941 ). EXTERNAL
41. Snow W. B. , U. S. Patent 2,137,032 (Nov. 1938 ). EXTERNAL
42. Forman A. J. , “A new multiplex system for three dimensional sound,” Tele Tech , 12 , no. 4 : 92 , Apr. 1953 . EXTERNAL
43. “Cinerama,” International Sound Technician , 1 , no. 1 : 4 , Mar. 1953 . EXTERNAL
44. Colledge A. W. , Western Electric Oscillator , 4 , no. 11 : 1946 . EXTERNAL
45. “Paramount Night of Stars,” Special Benefit Concert for Philharmonic Orchestra Continuance Fund, Hollywood Bowl Magazine , Aug. 17, 1936 . EXTERNAL
47. Cook E. , “Recording binaural sound on discs,” Tele Tech , 11 , no. 11 : 48 , Nov. 1952 . EXTERNAL
48. Unpublished work at Bell Telephone Laboratories. EXTERNAL
49. Jones W. B. , U.S. Patent 1,855,150 and U.S. Patent 1,855,151 (Apr. 1932 ). EXTERNAL
5. de Boer K. , “Experiments with stereophonic records,” 5 , no. 6 : 183 , June 1940 . EXTERNAL
50. Douden W. L. , U.S. Patent 2,124,030 (July 1938 ). EXTERNAL
51. Friebus R. T. , U.S. Patent 2,114,049 (Apr. 1938 ) and U.S. Patent 2,249,606 (July 1938). EXTERNAL
52. Fletcher H. , U.S. Patent 2,254,034 (Aug. 1941 ). EXTERNAL
53. Rosenberg A. , British Patent 23,620 ( 1911 ). EXTERNAL
54. Holst de Boer , U.S. Patent 2,273,866 (Feb. 1942 ). EXTERNAL
55. Steinberg J. C. Snow W. B. , U.S. Patent 2,126,929 (Aug. 1938 ). EXTERNAL
56. Snow W. B. , U.S. Patent 2,258,662 (Oct. 1941 ) and U.S. Patent 2,304,856 (Dec. 1942). EXTERNAL
57. Guernsey O. L. Jr. , “The 3-dimension fever grips Hollywood,” New York Herald Tribune , Feb. 15, 1953 . EXTERNAL
58. Perfect Transmission and Reproduction of Symphonic Music in Auditory Perspective: Forword , F. B. Jewett; Part I, The Demonstration, W. B. Snow; Part II, Transmission, Hamilton H. S. , Bell Telephone Quarterly , 12 , no. 3 : 156 , July 1933 . EXTERNAL
59. Bedell E. H. Crane R. E. Snow W. B. Thuras A. L. , “Technical problems of stereophonic reproduction,” Bell Laboratories Record , 12 , no. 7 : 194 , Mar. 1934 . EXTERNAL
6. de Boer K. , “Stereophonic recording on Philips-Miller film,” 6 , no. 3 : 80 , Mar. 1941 . EXTERNAL
60. Analytic Subject Index to Contemporary Acoustic Literature, Sec. 4.3, Binaural Hearing: Localization , J. Acoust. Soc. Am., Cumulative Index , vols. 11 to 20 : 1948 . EXTERNAL
61. Sleeper M. B. , “Sound movement and dimensions,” FM-TV , 11 , no. 1 : 48 , Nov. 1951 . EXTERNAL
7. de Boer K. van Urk A. Th ., “Some particulars of directional hearing,” 6 , no. 12 : 359 , Dec. 1941 . EXTERNAL
8. de Boer K. , “The formation of stereophonic images,” 8 , no. 2 : 51 , Feb. 1946 . EXTERNAL
9. de Boer K. , “A remarkable phenomenon with stereophonic sound reproduction,” 9 , no. 1 : 81 , 1947 . EXTERNAL

Source Data (JSON)

Full registry record with provenance metadata. Open directly: /api/doc/10.5594-J00963.json

Reference Tree

Explore all references and references to this document, as a navigable tree.

Open Reference Tree

Reference this Doc

Plain text (ISO 690 compliant)

Preview:

William B. Snow; Basic Principles of Stereophonic Sound, Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers ( Volume: 61, Issue: 5, November 1953); SMPTE, 1953. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/J00963

Snippet:

William B. Snow; Basic Principles of Stereophonic Sound, Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers ( Volume: 61, Issue: 5, November 1953); SMPTE, 1953. Available at https://doi.org/10.5594/J00963

HTML (ISO 690 compliant)

Preview:

Snippet:

<span class="citation">William B. Snow; <cite>Basic Principles of Stereophonic Sound</cite>, Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers ( Volume: 61, Issue: 5, November 1953); SMPTE, 1953. Available at <a href="https://doi.org/10.5594/J00963" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://doi.org/10.5594/J00963</a></span>

SMPTE's HTML Pub

Preview:

William B. Snow; Basic Principles of Stereophonic Sound, Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers ( Volume: 61, Issue: 5, November 1953); SMPTE, 1953
doi: 10.5594/J00963
url: https://doi.org/10.5594/J00963

Snippet:

<li>
William B. Snow; <cite id="bib-10-5594-j00963">Basic Principles of Stereophonic Sound</cite>, Journal of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers ( Volume: 61, Issue: 5, November 1953); SMPTE, 1953
<span class="doi">10.5594/J00963</span>
</li>

Referenced By

Progress Committee Report [Active]
Theater Loudspeaker System Incorporating an Acoustic-Lens Radiator [Active]
Quintaphonic Sound [Active]
Wave Field Synthesis and Object-Based Mixing for Motion Picture Sound [Active]
Emerging Technology Trends in Spatial Audio [Active]