Recording engineers recorded in 3-channel, in the hope that a marketable and affordable 3-channel playback system would be developed. They experimented with tape-solutions, but tape was very expensive and the 2-track tapes that stereo was originally launched on to the public were quickly replaced by 4-track, to justify the cost of the tape to consumers. (In today's money, a selection of tracks from a full-length release, offered on 2-track, would cost in excess of USD 100).
So the writing was on the wall. 3-track L/C/R tapes would never gain wide distribution - too expensive; 2-track was quickly replaced with 4-track. And the industry latched on to vinyl as the viable stereo format, because customers seemed sufficiently satisfied with the novelty of getting a two-channel stereo image, and didn't know what they were missing out on.
It's also worth noting that it took a while for people to start doing sensible stereo - sometimes they were "orchestra in left channel, singer in right."
3-channel properly recorded playback is sublime, and I've never experienced any swimming of sources as described above.
For a taste of what could have been, get the "Souvenir" LP-release by 2L. While in 2-channel, it uses a specific recording technique where the center-channel is given priority (with the lowest sounding string instruments placed in the center, and the rest of the orchestra radiating out from that center in a mixed-voices arrangement.) In the mix, priority is given to the center-channel signal, and L/R is bled in to expand the soundstage. The stereo effect is strong, but the weighting of the sound image will have you sit up straight.
The multi-channel release of "Souvenir" (high-res) gives you the option of separating the three channels to dedicated speakers (or playing it back in 5-channel mode).
Last edited:
