For me it is hard to believe that surround sound has been around for over 80 years.
The first commercially released multi-channel sound was on the Disney film Fantasia in 1941 (Robjohns, 2001). This used a proprietary system, Fantasound, which enveloped the audience in an immersive soundscape and saw 10 different speaker configurations created (The Take, 2020) to work acoustically within the various theatres. Sound was produced by a combination of left, right, centre, and two rear left and right channels (Kef, 2021), using 54 speakers, and a complicated dual reel setup for the sound of the rear channels.
Commercially the film was a failure due to the production costs of installing the system (The Take, 2020) and the costs associated with recording, and rerecording, the music. Of note, the film also was one of the first to utilise a click track, and pioneered many recording techniques (Robjohns, 2001). However, the concept of commercial immersive multi-channel audio was born.
For consumers, we would have to wait until the 1970s until we saw technology that would support multi-channel audio for the home.
In the 1970s quadraphonic sound was introduced to consumers. While most hardware manufacturers adopted a set of two sets of stereo speakers for both front and back, incompatible formats meant that there was not wide adoption of quad systems by consumers (Robjohns, 2001). In 1976 Dolby Laboratories released an analog surround sound system for movie theatres (Kef 2021).
The 1980s saw an acceleration in technology that started to make the idea of multi-channel for the home a reality. In the 1982 Dolby Labs introduced “Dolby Surround” (Kef, 2021). In 1983 Pioneer launched the Laserdisc. This format allowed Dolby to introduce AC-3, “Dolby Digital” (ibid.) and with it the first time consumers saw “5.1” as there was a separate channel, LFE (Low Frequency Effects), for a subwoofer (ibid.).
In 1999 Dolby released a 6.1 channel format called “Dolby Digital EX”, which did not see commercial success. However, with the release of 7.1, “Dolby Digital” in 2010, it paves the way for the 2012 release of the first Dolby Atmos-encoded film, “Brave” (Andrews et al., 2012).
Dolby Atmos can be set up using existing 2.1, 3.1, 5.1, 7.1 and 9.1 installations. Using two overhead speakers, for example: 7.1.2 or using four ceiling speakers, for example: 7.1.4. Going all the way to a 9.1.2 system which has two additional front speakers for a wider stereo field (Dolby, 2020).
References
Andrews, M. et al. (2012) Brave. United States: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Dolby (2020) Dolby Atmos speaker setup, Dolby. Available at: https://www.dolby.com/about/support/guide/dolby-atmos-speaker-setup/ (Accessed: March 22, 2023).
Kef (2021) A brief history of surround sound, KEF US. Available at: https://us.kef.com/blogs/news/a-brief-history-of-surround-sound (Accessed: March 22, 2023).
Robjohns, H. (2001) Surround Sound Explained: Part 1, Surround sound explained: Part 1. Available at: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/surround-sound-explained-part-1 (Accessed: March 22, 2023).
The Take (2020) What is Fantasound, and why was it created for “Fantasia”?: Read: The take, What Is Fantasound, and Why Was It Created for “Fantasia”? | Read | The Take. Available at: https://the-take.com/read/what-is-fantasound-and-why-was-it-created-for-afantasiaa (Accessed: March 22, 2023).