Stereophonic sound first came about in the 1930s and was invented by British engineer Alan Blumlein at EMI Records. During this time period, sound reproduction systems at cinemas only had a single set of speakers, which led to the actor being on one side of the screen, while his voice was coming out of the other. This gave Blumlein the idea to create a system that enabled the sound to follow the actor across the screen, birthing the idea of ‘stereophonic sound’. Blumlein even began experimenting with binaural sound as early as 1933, creating the Blumlein pair, a stereo recording technique. This technique introduced directional microphones and a ‘figure eight’ pattern, with two matched microphones positioned 90 degrees from each other.
There was no convenient way for the consumer to hear music in stereo because records could only play music in mono, as well as radios. Prior to recording the first stereo music track at Abbey Road Studio Two in 1934, Alan’s experiments primarily involved talking voice films that showcased stereo sound. By the mid-1950s, stereo was slowly being introduced to the general public, and 20 years later, stereo was starting to become very well-known in the music industry, despite mixes still being done in mono. Stereo mixing didn’t become the only format that most artists and labels chose until the late 1960s, with the introduction of stereo tape machines. As time went on, more and more microphones were being added to recording studios in Abbey Road, and it would be normal for 8 or more microphones to be out during a recording session.
One thing I have garnered through this research which could inform my future mixing is implementing binaural sound as it relates to the 3D aspect of stereo mixing. Altering the Hz of specific instruments to be played through different sides of an output can help me achieve a complete sound, adding depth using stereo mixing techniques such as mid-side EQ and reverb.
Stiles, M. (2021) The history of recorded music has its roots firmly planted at no. 3 abbey road, Abbey Road. Available at: https://www.abbeyroad.com/news/the-history-of-recorded-music-has-its-roots-firmly-planted-at-no-3-abbey-road-2596 (Accessed: 17 April 2025).
Stereophonic sound (2024) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound#:~:text=Modern%20stereophonic%20technology%20was%20invented,were%20at%20a%20local%20cinema. (Accessed: 17 April 2025).