What's the 5.1 channel?

Multi-channel Home theater mode

　　What is a channel

Channel English full name: Sound Channel, refers to the sound in the recording or playback in different spatial location to collect or playback of the independent audio signal, so the number of channels that sound recording when the number of audio or playback when the corresponding number of speakers. The number of channels supported by the sound card is one of the important indicators of the sound card grade. The channel can be divided into: Mono, stereo, quasi-stereo, four-channel surround, 5.1-channel, 7.1-channel, the following detailed introduction:

Mono (Mono)

Mono is a relatively original form of sound reproduction, the early sound card used more commonly. When the mono-channel information is replayed through two speakers, we can clearly feel that the sound is passed from the middle of the two speakers to our ears. This lack of sense of location of the recording method with the current view of nature is very backward, but in the sound card just started, already is very advanced technology.

　　What is 5.1 Channel

5.1-channel has been widely used in various types of traditional cinemas and home theater, some of the more well-known sound recording compression format, such as Dolby AC-3 (Dolby Digital), DTS, etc. are based on the 5.1 sound system for the technical blueprint, where the ". 1" channel, is a specially designed subwoofer channel, This channel can produce a 20~120hz of the frequency range. In fact, the 5.1 sound system comes from 4.1 surround, except that it adds a central unit. The Center unit is responsible for transmitting sound signals below 80Hz, which helps to strengthen the vocals while appreciating the film, concentrating the conversation in the middle of the entire sound field to increase the overall effect. Believe that every real experience of Dolby AC-3 sound effects of friends will be 5.1 channel admiration.

　5.1-Channel Home theater mode

Do not assume that 5.1 is already the pinnacle of surround sound, and that more powerful 7.1 systems have emerged. On the basis of 5.1, it adds the middle left and the middle right two pronunciations points in order to achieve a more perfect state. Because of the high cost, not widely popular.

　　7.1 Channel

The function of the 7.1-channel system is simply to establish a sound field with a relatively balanced sound field around the listener, different from the 5.1-Channel sound field, it is based on the original to increase the sound field channel, at the same time it is also different from the normal 6.1-channel sound field, because 7.1 channels have two-way after the middle, The most important function of the two-way post is to prevent the listener from having to sit in the position of the emperor and to produce a sound field deviation in the hearing. Because people's ears are divided into about two, then if you have only one speaker in the back, the sound field will be biased, this deviation will cause sometimes you feel that the sound is closer to the left, because you first received the voice in the ear, and sometimes feel the sound on the right, and the sound field will not have three-dimensional, almost a flat sound, sounds wrong. The reason is: when your ears are not facing the correct point of pronunciation, you need two speakers to correct the phase difference, which is why listen to music to at least two speakers (stereo). So, the sound field and phase that can be created with two rear surround horn are more advanced configuration in Home theater field.

About the channel is what, the author for everyone to introduce the detailed here, for our current majority of computer integration is the most of the stereo, for some professional sound card most of the 5.1 home theater channels, 5.1 channels widely used in various types of traditional cinemas and home theater, so many users may be more familiar.

　Stereo (Stereo)

The mono lacks the position of the sound, and the stereo technology changes the situation completely. Sound is assigned to two separate channels during recording to achieve good sound positioning. This technology is particularly useful in music appreciation, the audience can clearly distinguish the direction of all kinds of instruments, so that the music more imaginative, more close to the on-the-spot feeling. Stereo technology widely used in the sound Blaster Pro after a large number of sound cards, has become a far-reaching audio standard. Today, stereo is still the technical standard that many products follow.

　Quasi-stereo (prospective stereo)

The basic concept of a quasi-stereo sound card is to use mono when recording sounds, while playback is sometimes stereo and sometimes mono. The sound card that uses this technique has been on the market for some time, but it has now disappeared.

　　Four-channel surround

People's desire is endless, the stereo although satisfies the people to the left and right channel position feeling experience request, but along with the technology further development, we gradually discovered that the double channel has not been able to satisfy our demand more and more. Due to the advent of PCI sound card has brought many new technologies, which developed the most rapid when the number of three-dimensional sound. The theme of three-dimensional sound effects is to bring a virtual sound environment to people, through special HRTF technology to create a real sound field, so as to obtain a better game auditory effect and sound field positioning. and to achieve good results, just rely on two speakers is not enough, so the stereo technology in the three-dimensional sound is stretched, but four-channel surround audio technology is a good solution to this problem.

The four-channel surround provides 4 points of pronunciation: the front left, the front right, the left and the rear right, and the listener is surrounded in the middle. It is also recommended to add a bass speaker to enhance the playback of low-frequency signals (which is why the 4.1-channel speaker system is widely popular today). In the overall effect, four-channel system for the audience to bring the voice from a number of different directions around, you can get a variety of different environments in the sense of hearing, to give users a new experience. Now four-channel technology has been widely integrated into all kinds of high-end sound card design, become the mainstream trend of future development.