Explores the principles and practical considerations of spatial sound recording and reproduction. Particular emphasis is given to the increasing importance of multichannel surround sound and 3D audio, including binaural approaches, without ignoring conventional stereo.

The enhancement of spatial quality is arguably the only remaining hurdle to be overcome in pursuit of high quality sound reproduction. The rise of increasingly sophisticated spatial sound systems presents an enormous challenge to audio engineers, many of whom are confused by the possibilities and unfamiliar with standards, formats, track allocations, monitoring configurations and recording techniques.

The author provides a comprehensive study of the current state of the art in spatial audio, concentrating on the most widely used approaches and configurations. Anyone wishing to expand their understanding of these cutting-edge technologies will want to own this book.

Professor of Sound Recording at the University of Surrey (UK) and a Visiting Professor at the School of Music in Piteå (Sweden). Fellow of the Audio Engineering Society and a regular contributor to the AES Journal.

Introduction to spatial audio; Spatial audio psychoacoustics; Two channel stereo and binaural audio; Multichannel stereo and surround sound systems; Spatial sound monitoring; Two- and three-channel recording techniques; Surround sound recording techniques