The concept of surround sound dates back to the early 20th century, with the first major breakthrough coming with Walt Disney’s “Fantasia”. The film featured a groundbreaking sound system called Fantasound, which was developed in collaboration with engineers from RCA and Disney Studios. Fantasound used multiple channels of audio to create a more immersive auditory experience, placing the audience at the center of the action (Chapple, 2012).

An important technology emerged in the 1970s with the development of surround sound. Introduced by Dolby Laboratories, the system encoded four audio channels (left, center, right and a single surround channel) onto two optical tracks of a 35mm film print. This innovation made it possible to implement surround sound in more theaters without prohibitive costs. The first film to use Dolby surround was “A Star is Born”, which demonstrated the potential of enhanced audio to a wider audience (Dolby, 2021).

First film to use the new surround sound system:

“Star Wars” (1977). Utilizing the Dolby Stereo system, George Lucas and his team created a sound experience that matched the visual spectacle of the film. The immersive sound design set a new standard for film audio (Kernan, 2000).

Dolby continued to refine its technology throughout the 1980s and 1990s, introducing Dolby Surround and later Dolby Digital. These advances allowed for discrete multi-channel audio, providing greater clarity and separation between channels. “Jurassic Park” (1993) was one of the first films to use Dolby Digital, providing a groundbreaking auditory experience that matched its groundbreaking visuals (Jackson, 2013).

From Fantasound’s early experiments to groundbreaking implementations in “Star Wars” and beyond, each innovation has brought us closer to experiencing audio in a way that reflects real life. As the technology continues to advance, the future of surround sound promises even more exciting possibilities, making our auditory experiences richer and more immersive than ever before.

References:

Chapple, F. (2012). Fantasound: The Dawn of Surround Sound. Audio Engineering Society.

Dolby. (2021). A Star is Born (1976) and the Birth of Dolby Stereo. [online] Available at: https://www.dolby.com/about/story/a-star-is-born-1976/ [Accessed 29 May 2024].

Jackson, B. (2013). Jurassic Park and the Evolution of Surround Sound. Film Sound History.

Kernan, S. (2000). Star Wars and the Revolution of Movie Sound. Cinephile Journal.