Dirac Dimensions Audio Optimization System Preview

Dirac Research, a room correction and sound field synthesis company, has announced the introduction of Dirac Dimensions, an advanced digital signal processing solution engineered for automotive high fidelity. Dirac Dimensions virtually alters loudspeaker positioning to suit each automotive interior, providing an expanded acoustic environment and perfectly balanced sound from every seat in the car. One stumbling block to achieving the benefits of sound field synthesis has been that the technology requires too many loudspeakers for real-life applications. Dirac Dimensions is one of the first solutions that uses the car's existing loudspeakers to deliver the advantages of sound field synthesis, and the technology is available now in... wait for it... the 2011 Bentley Continental GT.

How Dirac Dimensions works

Dirac Dimensions is the first in-car audio optimization system to offer true MIMO (multiple-input multiple output) control of the entire sound field. Frequency response, spatial attributes, impulse responses, and the acoustic summation of all loudspeakers are optimized jointly to deliver the most realistic audio reproduction possible.

Sound engineers at Dirac Research team with automotive manufacturers to analyze acoustic properties within the car using the Dirac Dimensions Measurement and Design Tool. Based on the results, engineers can then “draw” an optimal listening environment in the Dirac Dimensions Room Editor, placing virtual speakers at desired locations while defining other target parameters for the desired performance. The result is balanced, accurate sound seemingly decoupled from the physical loudspeakers and extending beyond them in every direction.

Automotive Applications

Dirac Dimensions is the ultimate solution for creating the perfect stereo or 5.1 audio experience across all seating positions in an automotive environment. Dirac Dimensions succeeds in overcoming the limitations of conventional car speaker placement by using patent-pending control algorithms to create virtual loudspeakers outside the car while evening out response variations throughout the passenger cabin. The result is the most lifelike listening experience ever achieved for any automotive environment. 

The ultimate in sophistication and performance, the 2011 Bentley Continental GT utilizes Dirac Dimensions optimization technology to transform the in-car listening experience. "Our technology optimizes the sound field to achieve an unprecedented sense of space and realism from all seating positions in the car,” said Mathias Johansson, CEO and CTO at Dirac Research. “Dirac Dimensions actually transforms the output of the existing loudspeakers to create an entirely new listening environment. Due to its effectiveness and adaptability, we anticipate an increased demand for Dirac Dimensions in home, commercial and automotive applications,” Johansson added.

About Dirac Research
Founded in 2001, Dirac Research is a premier R&D company specializing in high-performance digital sound optimization, room correction and sound field synthesis. The company was founded by researchers from the Signals & Systems Group of Uppsala University, Sweden, which has fostered 8 Nobel Prize laureates. With Dirac's patented toolbox for efficient and accurate audio system optimization, customers such as BMW, Bentley and Datasat Digital Entertainment™ have achieved dramatically improved sound quality and a shortened time-to-market. Dirac Research maintains offices in Sweden, Tokyo and Detroit.  www.dirac.se