QSound

QSound is the original name for a positional three-dimensional (3D) sound processing algorithm made by QSound Labs that creates 3D audio effects from multiple monophonic sources and sums the outputs to two channels for presentation over regular stereo speakers.

QSound was eventually re-dubbed "Q1" after the introduction of "Q2", a positional 3D algorithm for headphones. When multi-speaker surround system support was later added to the positional 3D process, the QSound positional 3D audio process became known simply as "Q3D".

QSound is essentially a filtering algorithm. It manipulates timing, amplitude, and frequency response to produce a binaural image. Systems like QSound rely on the fact that a sound arriving from one side of the listener will reach one ear before the other and that when it reaches the furthest ear, it is lower in amplitude and spectrally altered due to obstruction by the head. However, the ideal algorithm was arrived at empirically, with parameters adjusted according to the outcomes of many listening tests.^[1]

3D positional processing like QSound, the multi-channel QSystem professional processor used in the production of pop music and film audio, is distinct from stereo expansion like QSound QXpander or SRS Sound Retrieval System. Positional 3D audio processing is a producer-side technology. It is applied to individual instruments or sound effects, and is therefore only usable at the mixing phase of music and soundtrack production, or under realtime control of game audio mixing software. Stereo expansion (processing of recorded channels and background ambience) is primarily a playback process that can be arbitrarily applied to stereo content in the end-user environment using analog integrated circuits or digital signal processing (DSP) routines.

The system was used in all CapcomCP System Dash and CP System II titles as well as the Sony ZN-1 and ZN-2 hardware arcade games such as Battle Arena Toshinden 2. Electronic Arts, Activision, Microsoft Game Studios, Sega, Virgin Interactive, TDK Mediactive, Bullfrog Productions, and Lionhead Studios have also used the technology, mostly through the use of the QMixer software development kit to implement audio positioning, mixing and control directly in the game software. In the case of Sega, it first made use of the technology starting with the Sega CD version of Ecco the Dolphin in 1993, and then later expanded its use into the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast libraries.^[2] Later versions of QMixer added support for 3D-accelerated hardware through the low-level Microsoft DirectSound3D Application Programming Interface.

Games utilizing QSound for home consoles typically had QSound mixing baked right into the audio files as Red Book Audio CD tracks using the Mixed Mode CD format or other various streaming audio formats such as XA audio or even ADPCM streaming tracks, as they lacked any dedicated hardware chips to perform real-time control of QSound effects.^[3] These games do not make use of the QMixer SDK to provide real-time QSound audio mixing and control within the game software.

While the system is known by some for its use in video game titles, the first QSound chip used for that purpose was not created until 1991; QSound had been developed in the late 1980s and has been used in everything from screensavers to television programming. QSound was also utilized on several music albums, including Madonna's 1990 album The Immaculate Collection, Sting's 1991 album The Soul Cages, Luther Vandross's 1991 album Power of Love, Paula Abdul's 1991 album Spellbound, and Roger Waters's 1992 album Amused To Death. Some TVs were also produced with this technology.^[4] Q3D has also been incorporated in a variety of computer sound cards and sound card drivers.

En 2003, Q3D se incorporó a la lista de componentes del microQ de QSound Labs, un motor de audio digital por software compacto y optimizado para el rendimiento, dirigido al mercado móvil (teléfonos móviles y similares). Permite el sonido 3D para juegos portátiles y se puede controlar en juegos Java mediante la interfaz de programación de aplicaciones JSR-234 . Q3D también estaba disponible para uso doméstico general con el UltraQ de QSound Labs, un dispositivo de hardware que permite la conexión de varios dispositivos mono y estéreo para proporcionar efectos de sonido envolvente con capacidades de audio posicional 3D de QSound. ^{[ 5 ]}

(NOTA: Salvo que se indique lo contrario, la mayoría de los juegos arcade de esta lista funcionan con el sistema arcade CP System II (CPS-2).)

Diversos juegos arcade y de consolas domésticas de los años 90 y principios de los 2000 incorporan el procesamiento QSound. Algunos juegos destacados son:

Más de 60 álbumes incorporan el procesamiento QSound. Algunos ejemplos destacados son:

QSound ganó el premio "Más prometedor" de Electronic Entertainment en 1993; los editores lo calificaron como "la tecnología de audio más novedosa del momento". ^{[ 6 ]}

• Aureal Semiconductor
• Tecnología creativa
• GameCODA
• Función de transferencia relacionada con la cabeza
• Sensaura
• Sistema de recuperación de sonido

• Sitio web de QSound Labs