Stepping outside the box

Yesterday's Paul's Post got a few of you thinking and commenting. In it, I suggested we're not at the end of the discovery line in audio, but rather standing on the precipice of the next big innovation. I truly believe that. Stereo is great but way past its prime. Like the gasoline engine. Still needed, but wickedly obsolete and injurious to everything it touches. New technology for creating a three-dimensional sonic hologram will not look anything like what you see listening to your system. In fact, it may not look like anything at all if we're lucky. I invented a single cabinet three-dimensional sonic holographic generator some years past, called the Acoustic Spatial Projector, so I know it can be done. This single cabinet, placed within a foot or two from the facing wall projected 3D sonic images for 180˚. It was cool enough that I patented it, something I will never do again for two reasons. First, it was arduous and expensive and then I never did anything with it. Second, a patent only serves to stymie the industry and is a selfish act. Neither of which have any appeal. In fact, I wish the entire patent process would be rethought. We need greater sharing and cooperation. Not less. I never pursued the Acoustic Spatial Projector idea because it wasn't revolutionary enough. It didn't make the magnitude of shift I was interested in. I really believe we're ready for the next big innovation in sound. I hope to be a part of it.