SRS Labs demonstrated a new end-to-end "Multi-Dimensional Audio" (MDA) platform earlier this year at CES 2012. But what exactly is it, and why is it "revolutionary" as the company exclaims vigorously in its many press releases. Well, MDA basically allows engineers to map all of the surround sound signal into 3D space, storing all of the spatial information of each sound element as metadata. That's completely different than, say, dedicating certain elements to specific channels - as in a 5.1 or 7.1 surround mix. Mixing audio with MDA as opposed to other surround sound platforms, allows a soundtrack to maintain the exact spatial characteristics of the audio as intended by the mixer. In addition, it practically future-proofs the soundtrack, making it compatible with any type of legacy speaker configuration or future platforms. Since the sound is mapped to 3D space - it's up to the DSP to place it into the room regardless of how many speakers there are. We have to admit - this system sounds intriguing.
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