Peter Scheiber

Peter Scheiber
BornApril 30, 1935
Croton-on-Hudson, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 18, 2023
Bloomington, Indiana, U.S.
Alma materOberlin Conservatory of Music
OccupationFounder of Scheiber quadraphonic system

Peter Scheiber was a classically trained musician and audio engineer. He was considered to be the originator of multichannel matrix audio formats, a mathematical formula used to convert four audio channels into two and back again.

Scheiber was also the inventor of the 360-degree spatial decoder.[1] Like Lou Dorren, Scheiber was an early pioneer of multi-channel sound.[2] It has been written that Scheiber pioneered the surround sound technology that is used in theaters today and referred to as Dolby Surround.[3][4][5]

In matrix quadraphonic systems four channels are converted (encoded) down to two channels. These two matrixed channels are recorded onto tape or vinyl record. Reproduction occurs via a two-channel stereo transmission medium - in most cases a vinyl record - these are decoded back to four channels and reproduced via four loudspeakers.[6][7]

  1. ^ Indianapolis Monthly, May 2007 - Page 103 - Sound Effects by Amy Wimmer Schwarb (See caption "Got them surrounded")
  2. ^ Billboard, May 13, 1972 - Page 72 AES-Quadrasonic Dog Fight * Continued from page 1
  3. ^ The Herald Times, 12 Oct 2003 - Sounding off by Brian Werth
  4. ^ Justia US Law - Peter Scheiber, Plaintiff-appellant, v. Dolby Laboratories, Inc., and Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corp., Defendants-appellees, 293 F.3d 1014 (7th Cir. 2002)
  5. ^ Tampa Bay Times, Nov. 2, 2003 - SOUND RECOGNITION By DAVE SCHEIBER
  6. ^ Scheiber, Peter (December 1969). "Toward a More Accurate Spatial Environment". Journal of the Audio Engineering Society. 17 (6). AES: 690, 691.
  7. ^ Scheiber, Peter (November 1971). "Analyzing Phase-Amplitude Matrices". Journal of the Audio Engineering Society. 19 (10). AES: 835–839.