The reality of “5+” wide-bandwidth, completely separated (“discrete”) channels provides the most realistic surround sound possible with virtually no compromises necessary in reproduction. Whether Dolby Digital or DTS, this type of multichannel recording, both for movies and musical perfor- mances, will be the predominant form of recording now that the DVD is here; a low-cost, very high- performance medium with sufficient “space available” for long-playing video and multichannel audio. The 5.0 has Dolby Digital decoding circuitry built in; DTS operation will be available in the
5.0factory-installed, or as an upgrade for Dolby Digital-only units in the field. Contact your autho- rized Citation dealer for details. This manual will assume that your 5.0 has this option as it describes various surround operating modes.
The second division of types of Surround modes occurs among older movie sound tracks and con- ventional two-channel stereo musical recordings. These can be divided into two sub-categories; those which were recorded with specific surround information encoding, and those which were not. In both cases, more than two channels can be “derived” during playback to provide surround sound.
The 5.0 contains circuitry to provide surround decoding appropriate for both of these types of pro- gram material, and will provide convincing surround performance even from older audio and video sources which were not specifically encoded for surround-sound operation, but from which information can be extracted to simulate various room spaces and effects to add to the musical or theatrical experience.
Important Note: Certain Surround modes are available only from certain sources. Dolby Digital and DTS signals are ONLY available from audio and video recordings made specifically for Dolby Digital or DTS reproduction, and only from DVD players, laser disc players equipped with RF modulators or some computer sound cards.
The conventional PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) digital signal from a CD or laser disc player, whether in electrical or optical form, and all analog signals, contain only two discrete channels of information, and can only be used for derived modes of surround sound.
Movie Modes vs. Music Modes
In addition to the Dolby Digital and DTS formats, clearly associated with either movies or music, according to the disc being played, the several surround-sound modes available in the 5.0 can be roughly divided between those primarily intended for use when watching movies, and those more suited for music listening. The Movie modes are designed for use with surround-encoded material; usually movies, but also many television programs, radio broadcasts (frequently NPR and BBC offerings), audio CDs and video games that have been mixed for multichannel audio playback and recorded with surround information.
Lists of surround-encoded movies and television programs may be obtained from Dolby Laboratories. In North America, contact them at (415) 558-0344; In Europe, at (44) 1-793-842-100. The 5.0’s Movie modes are Dolby Pro Logic and 70mm.
Music modes, conversely, utilize special circuitry to create multichannel audio from standard two- channel, or stereo, audio recordings. Use the modes when listening to conventional recordings watching two-channel television programs. Music modes incorporated in the 5.0 include Classical Rock, Jazz, 2-Channel, 3-Channel and Party.
6-Axis, exclusive to Citation, is equally suited for both encoded and non-encoded programs and recordings. This may well be the most universal of the Citation 5.0’s derived Surround modes, ideal for movies
and music.
