Subject: Re: [AUDITORY] Eight Years of the monotoSTEREO.info Website! From: Alain de Cheveigne <alain.de.cheveigne@xxxxxxxx> Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2023 11:59:43 +0000It sounds like a joke, but there may be a deeper wisdom. Here's a = conjecture. Mono is superior to stereo, in some situations, because the sound field = it produces is more "transparent". In other words, it is a less = pervading masker of other sounds. Anecdotally, I've experienced situations where the background music is = at the same time muffled and disruptive of conversations, and others = where both seem relatively easy to perceive. In the former, people tend = to speak louder (Lombard effect), which prompts the music lovers to = sneak over to the hifi system and notch up the volume at which point = everyone starts shouting. I tend to associate the former with a = reverberant space and stereo (particularly additional speakers), and the = latter with an acoustically damped space and mono (particularly played = from an adjacent room). Whether there is a basis to the stereo/mono = part of this this is unclear. Stereo might have an adverse effect on multiple sound segregation cues. = In an anechoic space you would lose the benefit of a point source, and = this might carry over in part to more reverberant environments. You're = less likely to have a head shadow benefit if sound comes from both = sides. Spectro-temporal gaps are likely to be fewer and shallower, = harmonicity cues smeared, and so-on. Stereo-enhancing algorithms might = further degrade these cues if they involve convolution (filters). I'd love to know of any work that corroborates or disproves this = conjecture, for example based on behaviour, sound field measurements, or = simulations. Alain > On 30 Jan 2023, at 09:51, Richard F. Lyon <dicklyon@xxxxxxxx> wrote: >=20 > Les, that's precious! Thanks for keeping us up to date on 50-year-old = satirical ideas! >=20 > Dick >=20 >=20 > On Mon, Jan 30, 2023 at 4:11 PM Les Bernstein <lbernstein@xxxxxxxx> = wrote: > Interesting, but why? After all, monophonic sound is superior to = stereo sound! See the attached regarding converting to monophonic = sound. You're about 50 years too late.=F0=9F=99=82 >=20 > Les Bernstein >=20 > --=20 > Leslie R. Bernstein, Ph.D. | Professor Emeritus > Depts. of Neuroscience and Surgery (Otolaryngology) | UConn School of = Medicine=20 > 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-3401 > Office: 860.679.4622 | Fax: 860.679.2495 >=20 > <ngkmNXu0eyag67PD.png> >=20 >=20 >=20 > On 1/28/2023 10:48 PM, Christopher Kissel wrote: >> *** Attention: This is an external email. Use caution responding, = opening attachments or clicking on links. *** >> Greetings! >>=20 >> For many years it was considered impossible to realistically convert = mono musical source material to stereo. In fact, consider this statement = in the Third Edition of The New Stereo Soundbook by Ron Streicher & F. = Alton Everest (2006 Audio Engineering Associates), undoubtably one of = the most authoritative books published on the subject of stereo sound: >>=20 >> =E2=80=9CThe most important point in studying the various methods of = converting a mono signal to stereo is the realization that it is = impossible to do so: the best that can be hoped for is a signal that has = some of the characteristics of a stereo signal.=E2=80=9D >>=20 >> On January 29, 2015 my website, monotoSTEREO.info, went live. I = started the website to provide a collection of resources for individuals = interested in upmixing older mono source material to stereo through the = use of spectral editing and audio (sound) source separation... more = specifically, music source separation. In that time the website has been = visited over 66,000 times by individuals in 185 countries! >>=20 >> The goal of this technology is the creating of stereo mixes that are = virtually indistinguishable from stereo mixes created using multitrack = session tapes, had they existed. >>=20 >> There are now several hundred examples mono recordings that have been = upmixed to stereo using this technology which have been linked to on the = MEDIA pages of the website. A number of these have been released = commercially: >>=20 >> MEDIA 1 >>=20 >> MEDIA 2 >>=20 >> MEDIA 3 >>=20 >> MEDIA 4 >>=20 >> MEDIA 5 >>=20 >> MEDIA 6 >>=20 >> MEDIA 7 >>=20 >> MEDIA 8 >>=20 >> MEDIA 9 >>=20 >> MEDIA 10 >>=20 >> MEDIA 11 >>=20 >> MEDIA 12 >>=20 >> MEDIA 13 >>=20 >> MEDIA 14 >>=20 >> MEDIA 15 >>=20 >> MEDIA 16 >>=20 >> MEDIA 17 >>=20 >> MEDIA 18 >>=20 >> MEDIA 19 >>=20 >> MEDIA 20 >>=20 >> MEDIA 21 >>=20 >> MEDIA 22 >>=20 >> MEDIA 23 >>=20 >> MEDIA 24 >>=20 >> MEDIA 25 >>=20 >> Links to commercially available releases which utilize this = technology can be found here: >>=20 >> LATEST RELEASES >>=20 >> RELEASED 1 >>=20 >> RELEASED 2 >>=20 >> There are now a total of 106 tools featured on the TOOLS pages of the = website, which are accessible from the pull-down menus anywhere on the = website: >>=20 >> TOOLS (A-C) >>=20 >> TOOLS (D-I) >>=20 >> TOOLS (J-R) >>=20 >> TOOLS (S) >>=20 >> TOOLS (T-Z) >>=20 >> More tools continue to be added, including web-based services and = even music source separation apps that run on iOS and Android devices! >>=20 >> There are now over 1,700 research papers, presentations, etc. linked = to on the RESEARCH pages of the website! >>=20 >> A companion Facebook page for the website provides updates and = related content. Be sure to =E2=80=9CLike=E2=80=9D the Facebook page to = follow it for the updates! >>=20 >> You can also follow me on Mastodon: = https://techhub.social/@xxxxxxxx >>=20 >> I=E2=80=99d like to take this opportunity to again thank the = engineers who have been showcasing what is possible with this = technology. I must also thank the various researchers and developers who = have made this technology accessible, powerful, and useable for so many. = The technology and the tools to utilize it continue to improve = dramatically! Lastly, a big thank you to the visitors to the website. = Your continued interest and support are very much appreciated! I = sincerely hope that you continue to find the website interesting, = informative, educational, and inspiring! >>=20 >> Best regards, >> Christopher Kissel >> Owner & Webmaster of monotoSTEREO.info >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >=20 >=20 >=20