A bit of a question about audio technology

seannash

So a few years ago i remember seeing a demonstration of a way to direct sound.
It was talking about how it could direct sound like a laser so in theory you could be in a night club and the opnly place that music would be audible would be on the dance floor.

I forgot about it until i saw this video
http://www.ted.com/talks/woody_norris_invents_amazing_things.html

Its basically the same idea.Its lets sound travel directly to the listener when its pointed at him.

Would something like this eliminate the need for acoustically treating a room for monitoring as there would be no sound reflection

PaulBrewer

Nah !
Reverb and reflections are all part of the monitoring process - even if you could get sound to you directly what happens after it passes you ?

seannash wrote: »

So a few years ago i remember seeing a demonstration of a way to direct sound.
It was talking about how it could direct sound like a laser so in theory you could be in a night club and the opnly place that music would be audible would be on the dance floor.

I forgot about it until i saw this video
http://www.ted.com/talks/woody_norris_invents_amazing_things.html

Its basically the same idea.Its lets sound travel directly to the listener when its pointed at him.

Would something like this eliminate the need for acoustically treating a room for monitoring as there would be no sound reflection

seannash

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Nah !
Reverb and reflections are all part of the monitoring process - even if you could get sound to you directly what happens after it passes you ?

i guess you could place something directly behind you head to stop it reflecting back maybe.

I actually wasnt aware that reverb and reflection were desired in a listening enviroment:o

madtheory

That device hasn't gone into production yet, which would suggest that it doesn't work so well. Don't believe it til you've seen it for real.

seannash wrote: »

I actually wasnt aware that reverb and reflection were desired in a listening enviroment:o

They aren't (mostly) but they have to be dealt with once you have walls. What Paul was saying is that they're inevitable, not desirable.

seannash

That device hasn't gone into production yet, which would suggest that it doesn't work so well. Don't believe it til you've seen it for real.

Ah okay,still though if its possible it could lead to some interesting developments i imagine

They aren't (mostly) but they have to be dealt with once you have walls. What Paul was saying is that they're inevitable, not desirable.

ah okay

Adyx

Not the video I was looking for, but close enough. Like everything else they weaponised it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5imaJwfJMZ8

studiorat

I dunno if it would be broad band enough for music monitoring...

krd

seannash wrote: »

So a few years ago i remember seeing a demonstration of a way to direct sound.
It was talking about how it could direct sound like a laser so in theory you could be in a night club and the opnly place that music would be audible would be on the dance floor.

I forgot about it until i saw this video
http://www.ted.com/talks/woody_norris_invents_amazing_things.html

Its basically the same idea.Its lets sound travel directly to the listener when its pointed at him.

Would something like this eliminate the need for acoustically treating a room for monitoring as there would be no sound reflection

Sound isn't like light - It can travel around corners without needing anything to directly reflect off.

You might be able to focus sound in a direction - like by using a mega phone. The sound will eventually find its' way to the rest of the room. Sound keeps going until all the energy is used up. If there are reflective surfaces - it will always reflect.