Sound reproducing system utilizing acoustic processing unit

Abstract

A system for reproducing a plurality of electro-acoustic signals each corresponding, for example, to a channel signal of a multichannel electronic keyboard instrument, includes an acoustic processing unit which comprises a plurality of electro-acoustic transducers, one for each signal, so arranged within a substantially sealed enclosure as to convert the electro-acoustic signals to corresponding acoustic signals and to mix them to produce a pair of composite sound signals each containing at least one dominant component corresponding to an applied electro-acoustic signal and sub-dominant components related to other applied electro-acoustic signals. In one embodiment, a pair of acoustic transmission paths are provided for coupling the composite sound signals to the left and right ears, respectively, of a listener. The sound image felt by the listener is localized externally of the head of the listener and simulates what the listener would experience if the multiple channels were separately acoustically reproduced in a listening room. In another embodiment the two composite sound signals are converted into corresponding electro-acoustic signals which may be applied to respective power amplifiers and loudspeakers, or to the left and right earpieces of an electro-acoustic headset, for acoustic reproduction.