Phantom center
Encyclopedia
Phantom center refers to the way human
ear
s detect the location of a sound
; straight ahead, above, or behind the head
. Since humans have one ear on each side of the head, sound in aforementioned locations creates an equal
sensation in each ear. Thus, based only on hearing, the sound can be determined to be in one of said locations, as opposed as to the left, or to the right
. In stereo mixing of sound a phantom center is often created, by the use of panning
. Even though there is no center speaker, vocals should appear to come from precisely between the two speakers. in surround sound
, vocals are almost always mapped to the center channel
, eliminating the need to create a phantom center using the left and right channels.
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
ear
Ear
The ear is the organ that detects sound. It not only receives sound, but also aids in balance and body position. The ear is part of the auditory system....
s detect the location of a sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
; straight ahead, above, or behind the head
Head
In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do....
. Since humans have one ear on each side of the head, sound in aforementioned locations creates an equal
Equal
Equal commonly refers to a state of equality.Equal or equals may also refer to:* Equal , a brand of artificial sweetener* EQUAL Community Initiative, an initiative within the European Social Fund of the European Union...
sensation in each ear. Thus, based only on hearing, the sound can be determined to be in one of said locations, as opposed as to the left, or to the right
Right
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
. In stereo mixing of sound a phantom center is often created, by the use of panning
Panning (audio)
Panning is the spread of a sound signal into a new stereo or multi-channel sound field. A typical physical recording console pan control is a knob with a pointer which can be placed from the 8 o'clock dial position fully left to the 4 o'clock position fully right...
. Even though there is no center speaker, vocals should appear to come from precisely between the two speakers. in surround sound
Surround sound
Surround sound encompasses a range of techniques such as for enriching the sound reproduction quality of an audio source with audio channels reproduced via additional, discrete speakers. Surround sound is characterized by a listener location or sweet spot where the audio effects work best, and...
, vocals are almost always mapped to the center channel
Center channel
Center channel refers to an audio channel common to many surround sound formats. It is the channel that is mostly, or fully, dedicated to the reproduction of the dialogue of an audiovisual program...
, eliminating the need to create a phantom center using the left and right channels.