Lexicon DC-1 - Page 20

17
DC-1 Theory
and Design
DC-1 Digital Controller
The requirements for processing sound for film viewing are quite different
than those for music listening. Music demands recreation of the original
performance venue, or the evocation of an appropriate setting, as well as the
creation of a believable soundstage. When visual images are introduced, not
only is strong audio imaging necessary to reinforce the illusion that dialog
originates at the screen image, but a diffuse soundfield must be created
which envelops the viewer without distracting attention from the screen.
In addition, films are designed to provide an enveloping experience in
large, reverberant auditoriums where background noise is a significant
consideration, where the screen dominates the field of vision, and where the
sound must be as uniform as possible over a large seating area — in short,
quite a different environment from your living room.
When all of these factors are taken into consideration, it becomes obvious
that no single speaker system or single method of processing is optimal, or
even adequate, for all types of music as well as for audio/video material.
The DC-1 is able to optimize the listening experience of any material
precisely because it provides such a wide range of processing options. This
flexibility is readily apparent in the variety of Surround effects available to
the user, each optimized for maximizing listener involvement in different
types of material played on a system whose speakers are laid out primarily
for films.
TV MATRIX provides surround effects to enhance television viewing of
monaural, stereo and stereo-synthesized programs. This program has the
most flexibility in adjustment of any of the Surround effects.
MUSIC LOGIC and MUSIC SURROUND use a unique ambience extraction
method which can provide spectacular results with music, as well as
providing seven channels.
PARTY (Full Range) allows unprocessed music to be played over all the
speakers for background music, or for maximum acoustical output of the
system.
MONO LOGIC expands the music and effects on monaural films into the
surround channels while leaving dialog in the front center.
PRO LOGIC provides the same decoding used in Dolby Stereo theater
systems, using as many as eight speakers for front, center, side, rear and
subwoofer channels. All side and rear channels are driven in parallel, or
monaural.
Surround