Skip to Content

Virtual Microphone

Until recently, concert recordings were made in stereo, with only left and right audio channels. The advent of digital-videodisc audio technology makes richer, six-channel reproductions possible, but only for musical events originally recorded on multiple channels. Reinventing the past, Chris Kyriakakis, co-director of the Immersive Audio Lab at the University of Southern California, has found a way to revamp existing recordings by “mapping” the concert halls where they were made. Kyriakakis places arrays of microphones around the venues, then electronically compares their signals to those of reference microphones placed where the mikes were located during the original recordings. This comparison yields enough information to translate the original recording into a six-channel recording. For Internet delivery, only one or two channels need be sent; the rest are generated at playback.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.

“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.

What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines

New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.

Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats

With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure

Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation

From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.