On September 12th last month another industry pioneer passed, Dr. Ray Dolby. Recognized around the world for his groundbreaking technologies in both consumer and professional formats. Initially the most famous for noise reduction in tape formats, he went on to very different and diverse processing systems in the decades that followed. He was 80 years old, and was battling both Alzheimer's and leukemia.
This logo appeared on almost every cassette deck made from the '70's on. I saw it go from Dolby A (professional use) to B, probably the most common , to C the more improved version. A derivative "Dolby HX" short for headroom extension also found on a few machines and was not really a noise reduction system but a dynamic range expander, for a serious shortcoming of cassettes. This in an attempt to compete with DBX, at the time the biggest competitor for Dolby. DBX was actually significantly better, but far less compatible and universal than Dolby. You could play a Dolby tape back without Dolby (in fact most of us did to get the extra treble boost).If you did this with DBX you would get an intense pumping sound. Licensing fees of course for every deck that bore this logo, and it blew me away back then to see even
a cheesy $39. deck sporting the Dolby logo.This is what got the the company off to its first huge financial start.
Surround sound was another of Dolby's huge claims to fame. It started out as Pro- Logic, with Laser discs went to AC-3, and with the advent of DVD Dolby Digital is standard equipment on any DVD/Bluray player available. A huge improvement over the time delay machines of the early '70s, this actually succeeded in putting discreet separate sounds in specific speakers. Any modern day receiver/ prepro maintains the ability to decode this as well. Not even sure what the current incarnation of this is, Dolby HD LSMFT maybe? Pro Logic for the analog freaks became Pro Logic II. My preamp has a tube version of it, I never use it. It's designer Jim Fosgate pretty firmly believes in it. If I watch a DVD concert it is usually in DTS, the main audio for video competitor of Dolby. I think it sounds better for music, less harsh and more musical. Of course the main part of my listening is two channel vinyl, so surround sound plays a very small part in my life.
I won't touch on the professional side of this, far too many products and technologies that I in my context would not be putting to use. Suffice it to say, the Dolby name flourishes today, and with out a doubt one of the most recognizable in technology circles. Another great pioneer passes................
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