Does anyone know of a website for streaming either just audio, or video with surround sound?  I'm thinking of something like youtube or soundcloud, but with the ability for surround content.  Siverlight has the ability to, and from what I can see, netflix was looking at doing it as well, but for user generated content there doesn't seem to be anything.

 

Thoughts?

Anyone?

 

1 thought I had was to use Bandcamp and their bonus section to allow a download of an ac3 file.  VLC then gives an easy and free way to listen to it, but it isn't as easy as streaming.

Well perhaps you have hit upon a business idea that no one else has!!

 

The problem is 5.1 for audio just has not taken off and I for one just can't believe it but they're a lot of reasons why:

 

Price of the actual equipment not only to listen to it but to mix and record it, the IPod generation and the list goes on.

 

Sorry mate I have no idea of such a site and if you have searched the net and you have come up nix then it's nix hence the business idea.

 

I think the way to get people into 5.1 is through live, Pink Floyd have had a Quad system since 1967 and everybody says the Floyd in 5.1 is the bomb unfortunately I still haven't gotten (is gotten even a word, I'm slowy improving my grammar) around to listening to DSOTM in 5.1.

 

David Bowie was really innovative a few years ago when he did a concert that was broadcast to a select bunch of cinemas in 5.1 and lets get this straight not a recording but a live show, so it can be done.

 

Peace Ben 

The majority of the population are not audiophiles who sit in a special chair in a special room surrounded by speakers. The average music consumer has embraced portability and convenience, which really started with the invention of the compact cassette and has become simpler ever since.

Geoff said:

The majority of the population are not audiophiles who sit in a special chair in a special room surrounded by speakers. The average music consumer has embraced portability and convenience, which really started with the invention of the compact cassette and has become simpler ever since.

I think Geoff has nailed it better than I could.  The thing is I still believe if people heard more live 5.1 they would be more inclined to get a 5.1 system.

 

Wishful thinking perhaps.

 

Peace Ben

So why is there not a simple way to convert from surround to binaural, if that's how 'everyone' is listening to music now?  Shouldn't we still be 'stretching' the boundries?

 

I don't sit in a special chair in a special room, although it would be nice.  Logitech x-530's out of what was until recently the onboard (Shock horro) audio outputs.  Surround like this can be had for $100 (I bought mine in 2006 for less than this) and every motherboard has the ability to do surround.  Maybe 'surround' isn't a selling point like ultra-mega-crazy-def image.

 

Last time I checked, everybody caters to the minority now.

 

Surround needs to be and should be more than reverb in the rear speakers.

 

From memory I saw a white paper a few years ago that was for mp6 or something around there, and there was a specification for switching between stereo, binaural and surround automatically depending on what the content was being played on.

Binaural I didn't think of that, the only issue for me whenever I have heard fake 3d it makes me feel a little sick, tried watching penguins in 3d at the museum yesterday, for a few momments the penguins poped out at me but as soon as moved my head it went all weird, it's the same with 3d audio, I don't think it's quite there.

 

As for mixing in 5.1 it's a hard thing for a uni project we had to mix an Eskimo Joe song, there were some cool effects that I panned around the 5.1 field but for the most I just put the verb in the back speakers.  This is because it becomes a gimmick, this is why I mentioned Pink Floyd they actually designed DSOTM for Quad sound and they issued one of the first Quad records, I can't remember the semantics but you could actually by a Quad LP player back in 1973.

 

Roy Thomas Baker has also suggested A Night At The Opera was concevied with surround in mind.

 

And here is your problem when you write a record (oh guess what they don't any more) you design it as a surround experience, so what I am saying some music just lends itself to 5.1.  Lady GaGa in 5.1 anyone?

 

There was an article in one of the Audio Tech mags about mixing Inxs in 5.1 and I think the general consensus in that article was how do you make INXS into a 5.1 band.

 

Apples and Oranges

You shouldn't think of binaural as fake 3D.  Because it's coming from headphones, there isn't the same wooziness from moving your head out of the visual 'sweet spot'.  That said, I would say that most people who have a surround sound setup don't have it setup correctly.  Strangely I actually use my surround piece, which was mixed on a proper setup to adjust mine to the correct positions, purely because I know how it's meant to sound.

 

Part of surround for me is the ability to screw with people's ears.  I think surround certainly works best when it's thought about in advance.  There is a lot more space to place musical and non-musical elements in the sound stage.  If you have a 3 piece rock band, you do become limited in what you can do.

 

Just realised that I didn't put the stereo downmix up here yet.



 

Think of it as a mirror image, flipped back to front.  The elements in the distance in the stereo collapse, are actually behind.

 

If you're looking for some surround stuff to test have a listen to some of these.

http://www.lynnemusic.com/surround.html

To me, not all of them work, but there are certainly elements that are enhanced by surround. Start with Voyager.

 

If I found a quad record player I'd buy it very quikly lol.  I have Quad versions of Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn.

Quads occassionally come up for sale.

A mate of mine in Newcastle grabbed one a few years ago and a bunch of records.

I prefer 2 channel, myself.

Most people can't even adjust 2.1 properly...........and I won't even go near engineers at concerts that think that subs should be run flat out and ruin the sound.

Well, I suppose I did............I also made the mistake of calling them engineers. 

I just kept turning my cousin's sub down everytime I was there.  He eventually got the message lol.