Most of us listen to 2-channel music (also called stereo)
Part of the music is sent to one ear, and the rest is sent to the other ear
The brain puts the parts together
Stereo sound was first demonstrated by Clément Ader at the Paris Electrical Exhibition in 1881
Stereo sound for movies was invented in 1931 to increase the audio realism
Today, home theaters have multiple sound channels, all designed to accurately place sounds in the movie space
With all of this great sound technology, why is underwater music mixed to mono (one channel)?
There are three reasons
First Reason – Most people cannot hear stereo sound underwater
Sound travels 4.3 times faster underwater than in air
The brain cannot properly combine the parts for a person to hear stereo sound.
Second Reason – Water absorbs sound.
Water molecules tend to turn sound energy into heat.
If a person is further from one speaker than the other, One speaker will sound softer than the other.
The music underwater will sound incomplete.
Third Reason – It is expensive
Overcoming the absorption of sound would require at least twice as many speakers
Twice the number of speakers = twice the cost
To prevent these problems, underwater music is mixed to mono
Your brain says “Thank You”
For more information contact Clark Synthesis
303-797-7500
info@clarksynthesis.com
www.clarksynthesis.com