[LAU] more than 4 channels for listening? Really?

[Bearcat M. Sandor]

Fernando Lopez-Lezcano wrote:
> On Thu, 2010-02-25 at 11:27 -0700, Bearcat M. Sandor wrote:
>   
>> Couldn't one create the sound of a fly moving through out a room simply
>> by adjusting the balance of 4 speakers?
>>     
>
> Yes, of course, this has been in the computer music composer's toolbox
> for quite a number of years. For a little bit of background see (for
> example):
>
> http://cec.concordia.ca/eContact/Multichannel/spatial_music_short.html
>
>   
>> If so why do we need more than 4 speakers?
>>     
>
> If you are using amplitude panning and any two speakers are more than 60
> degrees apart in angle (or so) it becomes increasingly difficult to
> create convincing virtual images between the speakers. The virtual image
> tends to jump from one speaker to the other instead of smoothly panning
> between them (this is an extreme simplification, of course). 
>
> -- Fernando
>
>
>   
Thanks Fernando! I look forward to reading that article. Skimming it 
now, it looks interesting.

So the speaker angle is more important than distance? It's the angles 
relative to the listener, right? So a center channel is designed for 
people who are sitting off axis and otherwise not needed?