 DOLBY CELEBRATES 35 YEARS OF SOUND INNOVATION
This short article appeared in the ShoWest 2000 edition of Dolby News, Dolby‘s regular newsletter and sums up their contribution to film sound since their founding. Dolby Laboratories was founded in May of 1965. Within just a few years, the company’s first development, Dolby A-type noise reduction, was widely adopted by the music recording industry as a dramatic step forward in professional audio recording. In 1970, we first demonstrated how film sound could be improved by the application of Dolby noise reduction to optical soundtracks. The reduction in noise was not only good in and of itself, but also made it possible to lower distortion and extend the track’s high frequency response. We soon found, however, that a new, improved soundtrack wasn’t enough. It’s wider frequency response wouldn’t make much of a difference over the limited-range cinema speakers of the day. And even if the speakers were to improve somehow, mixes prepared for playback over limited-range speakers wouldn’t sound right over wide-range speakers. We were faced with a difficult choice - either give up on our improved soundtrack, or work to improve the entire film sound chain, including mixing techniques and theatre playback, to take advantage of our work. We decided on the latter, and today’s comprehensive, worldwide Dolby film sound programme is a direct result. To improve theatre playback, we introduced a new playback standard for both cinemas and dubbing theatres, using third-octave speaker equalisation. We also introduced a standard playback level, so that films could be heard in the cinema at the level at which they were mixed. We instituted two services we still provide: supplying mixers with both equipment and technical backup to take full advantage of our new technology, and training technicians worldwide to install and properly set up our theatre equipment. Dolby Laboratories’ successive soundtrack improvements became a reality, because we not only developed the technology, but also backed it up with a service organisation. Everyone in the industry is familiar with the chain of Dolby innovation: Dolby Stereo, which revolutionised film sound by delivering multi-channel surround from 35mm optical prints; Dolby SR, which brought optical sound up to magnetic soundtrack quality, and remains the worldwide analogue standard today; Dolby Digital, the first commercially successful digital sound format, and today the world leader. And most recently, Dolby Digital Surround EX, providing a new tool for delivering greater sonic reality and excitement to the audience. For all the technological progress, however, the biggest change from when we first started making films sound better is a new attitude towards sound that now pervades the industry. Sound is no longer an afterthought. For everyone from the producer to the theatre owner, sound has grown from the picture’s subordinate to its equal partner. The movie-going experience is far richer as a result, and one has only to look at today’s revival of the cinema industry as confirmation. | 
