Immersive Sound: The Art and Science of Binaural and Multi-Channel Audio provides a comprehensive guide to multi-channel sound. With contributions from leading recording engineers, researchers, and industry experts, Immersive Sound includes an in-depth description of the physics and psychoacoustics of spatial audio as well as practical applications. Chapters include the history of 3D sound, binaural reproduction over headphones and loudspeakers, stereo, surround sound, height channels, object-based audio, soundfield (ambisonics), wavefield synthesis, and multi-channel mixing techniques. Knowledge of the development, theory, and practice of spatial and multi-channel sound is essential to those advancing the research and applications in the rapidly evolving fields of 3D sound recording, augmented and virtual reality, gaming, film sound, music production, and post-production.

When I started in magnetic recording nearly fifty years ago, it was easy to perceive the common sense of it. There was very little mathematics and every new finding was a source of wonder. I have tried to recapture this spirit with simple explanations, while maintaining a high density of infonnation and cov ering the entire field. This book introduces a novice to magnetic recording and its many branches. It includes reference data for designers and users. Each chapter stands by itself; no prerequisites are essential. For a quick survey, the equations and worked out examples can be disregarded. The magnetic recording art is changing so rapidly that new advances are announced almost every month. These are properly covered by journal articles and manufacturers' catalogs. This book will fulfil its purpose if it gives a back ground for easily comprehending the new advances. I have included subjects and devices not found elsewhere, and some unconventional viewpoints. I would welcome comments from readers. To Jay McKnight I am deeply grateful for important suggestions and helpful comments. I appreciate also the help of BASF, John Boyers, Joseph Dundovic, Charles Ginsburg, Peter Hammar, Yasuo Imaoka, Hal Kaitchuk, Otto Kornei, Harold Miller, Jack Mullin, Jim Novak, Lenard Perlman, Carl Powell, Sidney Rubens, John Shennan, Shigeo Shima, Heinz Thiele, Yoshimi Watanabe and many others; and to my daughter Ruth for typing.