We already have software to independently place sound sources within an acoustic environment[1]. Convolution provides an incredibly convincing sense of space, by directly recording the reverberant properties of a real environment. We can also render multichannel mixes that will work on playback systems from 2 to 64 channels[2]. Unfortunately, we can't rely on the integrity of the signal chain outside of a very limited number of applications, like Dolby-certified movie theatres.
At present, stereo mixing is constrained by the need for compromise. We just don't have the ability to accurately ascertain how the listener is experiencing our mix. They might be using mono equipment that only plays one channel or that sums both, they might be listening over a highly compressed stream or a poor FM signal that mangles the stereo image, they might be using headphones (or one earbud), or a whole range of stereo speaker systems that may or may not have glaring technical faults (channels out of phase, comb filtering due to poor placement etc).
A mix that creates an effective illusion of space on one system can sound downright unpleasant on another, so the main goal is compromise. You narrow the stereo image to avoid hard pans that sound unpleasant on headphones, you avoid big phase differences that would cause cancellation when summed to mono and so on. Modern stereo is basically mono with bells on.
My hope is that high-resolution music services like Pono, Quobuz and Tidal will help reignite an appetite for audio quality and create a market for mixes that demand a quality playback environment. I'm not overly optimistic however - the vast majority of listeners are just indifferent.
Hacker Cinema
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We already have software to independently place sound sources within an acoustic environment[1]. Convolution provides an incredibly convincing sense of space, by directly recording the reverberant properties of a real environment. We can also render multichannel mixes that will work on playback systems from 2 to 64 channels[2]. Unfortunately, we can't rely on the integrity of the signal chain outside of a very limited number of applications, like Dolby-certified movie theatres.
At present, stereo mixing is constrained by the need for compromise. We just don't have the ability to accurately ascertain how the listener is experiencing our mix. They might be using mono equipment that only plays one channel or that sums both, they might be listening over a highly compressed stream or a poor FM signal that mangles the stereo image, they might be using headphones (or one earbud), or a whole range of stereo speaker systems that may or may not have glaring technical faults (channels out of phase, comb filtering due to poor placement etc).
A mix that creates an effective illusion of space on one system can sound downright unpleasant on another, so the main goal is compromise. You narrow the stereo image to avoid hard pans that sound unpleasant on headphones, you avoid big phase differences that would cause cancellation when summed to mono and so on. Modern stereo is basically mono with bells on.
My hope is that high-resolution music services like Pono, Quobuz and Tidal will help reignite an appetite for audio quality and create a market for mixes that demand a quality playback environment. I'm not overly optimistic however - the vast majority of listeners are just indifferent.
[1] https://vsl.co.at/en/Vienna_Software_Package/Vienna_MIR_PRO
[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolby_Atmos