Channels in Audio System
When we talk about Home Entertainment, Home Theatre or Karaoke System we?ll see term 2 channel, 2.1 channel, 5.1 channel and 7.1 channel. The difference of channel basically differences of among of speaker controlled by audio system. It?s mean there are an audio system control 2 speakers, 3 speakers, 5 speakers, 6 speakers and 8 speakers as a set of audio system. Not speaker A and B output but every speakers controlled separately.
Last tenth years audiophiles were satisfied with stereo system. This system called 2 channel. There?re two speakers in the audio system, Left speaker and right speaker. And the output of amplifier to feed these speakers called left channel and right channel. Stereo system called ping pong system too. Cause sound come out from left and right simultaneously. Some recordings create sound come out from left turn to right and vice versa. That?s called ping pong like table tennis ball.
By stereo system, audiophiles feel their system couldn?t produce very low audible frequencies. Bass sound from woofer speaker is not enough awful. So sound system producer introduce sub woofer speaker. This speaker has wider diameter, bigger magnetic corrode and more flexible cones than common woofer speaker. This sub woofer designed to produce very low audible frequencies. There is only one sub woofer speaker in audio speaker. Not like other speaker always have left and right speaker. Sub woofer speaker sound only when the music content very low frequency. This system called 2.1 channel. It?s mean there are 2 speaker; front left and right, and one sub woofer speaker.
At 90?s movie companies try to create a system to support picture action that sometime a helicopter turn around camera or a bullet seem come from behind visitor. They develop an audio system to record atmosphere of shooting location. They place four microphones enough distance around camera. When a horse run from behind camera, the sound cached and recorded by microphone behind cameraman trough microphone in front of cameraman. Four microphone record and controlled separately. There are 4 tracks recording here. Add one track for actor and actress conversation and one track for special effect bass. This is 5.1 channel. And this system called surround system. This system consist of 2 front speaker, left and right; 2 rear speaker, left and right; one center speaker (for actor conversation); and one sub woofer speaker.
Movie producers feel there is a loss sound between rear speakers and front speakers. The speakers couldn?t take the sound from behind to front of listener simultaneously. So they created left and right side speaker. These side speaker hold sounds moving around listener in order prevent sound losses. This system called 7.1 channel. 2 front speakers, 2 side speakers, 2 rear speakers, 1 center speaker and 1 sub woofer speaker.
Now we can understand why we need until eight speakers to enjoy our film. How does audio system develop after this ? May be once time we found floor speaker produced. How many audio system channel will create in the future?
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