Quadraphonic sound

Quadraphonic (or quadrophonic, also called quadrasonic or by the neologism quadio [formed by analogy with "stereo"]) sound – equivalent to what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four audio channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of a listening space. The system allows for the reproduction of sound signals that are (wholly or in part) independent of one another.

Four-channel quadraphonic surround sound can be used to recreate the highly realistic effect of a three-dimensional live concert hall experience in the home. It can also be used to enhance the listener experience beyond the directional limitations of ordinary two-channel stereo sound. Quadraphonic audio was the earliest consumer product in surround sound. Since it was introduced to the public in the early 1970s, many thousands of quadraphonic recordings have been made.

Quadraphonic sound was a commercial failure when first introduced because of a variety of technical issues and format incompatibilities. Four-channel audio formats can be more expensive to produce than standard two-channel stereo. Playback requires additional speakers and amplifier channels. It may also require specially designed decoding equipment.

The introduction of home cinema products in the 1990s was first intended for movie sound, but also revived interest in multi-channel music reproduction. By this time, new digitally based formats had been created. Many four-channel recordings from the 1970s have been reissued in modern surround-sound systems such as Super Audio CD, DTS, Dolby Digital, DVD-Audio and Blu-ray. Multichannel home audio reproduction has experienced a revival since 2000, and new four-channel recordings have also been released to the public since this time.

A quadraphonic system will reproduce right front, right rear, left front, and left rear audio signals in four separate speakers. The rear speakers' reproduction capability should be of the same or almost the same quality as the front speakers'; ideally, a quadraphonic system uses four identical speakers.

The first machines used for 4-channel sound recording were analog reel-to-reel tape recorders. These were developed for use by audio engineers in professional studios during the 1950s in Germany by Telefunken and also by Ampex in the United States. Such machines appeared in some European electronic-music studios by 1954.

Early attempts to reproduce four channel sound for home playback began with audio laboratory engineers in the late 1960s. Producer Thomas Mowrey, initially working at the Eastman School of Music, was one of the pioneers of classical quadraphonic recording. He later made quadraphonic productions for Deutsche Grammophon and other labels in the early 1970s, but many of these were released only as stereo recordings.

A small number of quadraphonic recordings were introduced to the American consumer market by Vanguard Records in June 1969 on reel-to-reel tape. The most popular medium used to market recordings to the public during the 1970s was the vinyl LP phonograph record. Quadraphonic recordings on 8-track tape were also popular in the 1970s, particularly among car audio enthusiasts.