2011-09-12
New BMW 6 series coupe and cabriolet feature Dirac Dimensions™technology in the Bang & Olufsen High-End Surround Sound System
The Bang & Olufsen High-End Surround Sound System introduced
in the new BMW 6 series coupe and cabriolet features cutting-edge
sound processing technology Dirac Dimensions™. Dirac Dimensions™
creates premium stereo and surround sound by genuine 3D sound field
control using the car's 16 loudspeakers.
Similarly to placing the driver and passengers in a reference
home theater with high-end loudspeakers, Dirac Dimensions™
optimizes the sound reproduction of the automotive sound system to
match that of the best home audio systems.
By joint digital control of all of the car's 16 loudspeakers,
the technology - which uses patent-pending control algorithms -
creates new virtual loudspeakers optimally placed outside of the
car. To combat the difficult acoustic interior of the car, Dirac
Dimensions™ also emulates the acoustic environment of a reference
listening room in the passenger compartment. The result is the most
lifelike listening experience that physics allows in an automotive
environment.
"By embracing the most advanced audio signal processing on the
market, BMW again emphasize their commitment to reaching the best
sound in class. It is a privilege to be part of their journey of
taking automotive sound systems into a new paradigm," said Dr.
Mathias Johansson, CEO of Dirac.
How Dirac Dimensions™works
Dirac Dimensions™ is the first in-car audio optimization system to
offer true MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) control of the
entire sound field. Frequency response, spatial attributes, impulse
responses, and the acoustic summation of all loudspeakers are
optimized jointly to deliver the most realistic audio reproduction
possible.
Sound engineers at Dirac team with automotive manufacturers to
analyze acoustic properties within the car using the Dirac
Dimensions™ Measurement and Design Tool. Based on the results,
engineers can then "draw" an optimal listening environment in the
Dirac Dimensions™ Room Editor, placing virtual speakers at desired
locations while defining other target parameters for the desired
performance. The result is balanced, accurate sound seemingly
decoupled from the physical loudspeakers and extending beyond the
car's compartment in every direction. The system is frequently
referred to as the first practical sound field synthesis system in
the world.
About Dirac Research:
Founded in 2001, Dirac Research is a premier R&D company
specializing in high-performance digital sound optimization, room
correction and sound field synthesis. The company was founded by
researchers from the Signals & Systems Group of Uppsala
University, Sweden, which has fostered 8 Nobel Prize laureates.
With Dirac's patented toolbox for efficient and accurate audio
system optimization, customers such as BMW, Bentley, Rolls Royce
and Datasat Digital Entertainment have achieved dramatically
improved sound quality and a shortened time-to-market. Dirac
maintains offices in Sweden, Tokyo, Detroit, San Diego, Seoul and
Shanghai. www.dirac.se.