Almost 90 years ago, in October 1927, the art of storytelling took a dramatic turn when the first “talking picture” or “sound film” was released to audiences around the world. The Jazz Singer was a smash hit, earning more than $2.6 million as it captivated audiences with its Vitaphone technology, the era’s leading sound-on-disc system that would forever change the standard for in-theater experiences.
Within just a year, filmmakers encouraged by the success of The Jazz Singer were already developing ways to advance in-theater audio beyond the use of discs and turntables and began migrating to sound-on-film. Regardless, the new multi-media era had been launched. The introduction of sound on top of moving pictures took people to a new dimension.Fast-forward to today and the art of storytelling in our modern, more virtual world is once again about to be disrupted by another seminal advancement in sound. It’s the use of 3D audio to immerse people more deeply into virtual environments, taking them to a reality that’s, well, much more real.
Binaural 3D audio is inherently more authentic to our ears than two-dimensional stereo. It is sound that’s designed to replicate the way we hear spatially, leveraging how humans consume auditory information in our natural environment. 3D audio engages the listener by offering a spatial bearing that enables them to sense where they are relative to the noises around them. In a 3D soundscape, the origins of sounds can perceptibly move about the listener, locating the listener as if they were standing in a real life environment.
By inserting 3D audio, new spatial information is introduced to the virtual experience, enabling audiences to sense things happening behind them, or elsewhere in their virtual environment, completely independent of their eyes.
Just imagine yourself at a museum, standing in front of a massive painting that – despite being a two dimensional work of art – has amazing depth and allure. Visually, it draws you in and creates a sense of rapture. Now fold 3D audio into the experience with carefully crafted sound that wraps itself around you and pulls you closer. Characters in the painting sneak up from behind and encourage you to look deeper. Meanwhile, others call for your attention on the right, and then on the left….The post Why 3D audio is the next big step for virtual reality appeared first on FeedBox.