Soundfield UPM-1

Soundfield has announced the availability of its UPM-1 is a hardware stereo to 5.1 upmix processor, designed for HD broadcasters who use archive stereo material and wish to generate acceptable 5.1 broadcast mixes from stereo soundtracks.

Software and hardware upmixing tools have existed for some years, but most of them create material for the extra three channels in a 5.1 mix by using processing, for example adding reverb or applying phase-shifts to the stereo material to create information for the rear surround channels, Soundfield says.

Instead, the UPM-1 is designed to generate the material for the extra channels by closely analysing the source stereo signal over time. Using an algorithm developed for the purpose, the UPM-1 can supposedly detect reverberant content in the stereo signal, differentiate it from the direct sounds in the mix, and separate it out.

Users can adjust the details of the processing from the UPM-1’s front panel, with control offered over a variety of different parameters
including the level of the direct and ambient components in the front and rear channels, and the divergence of the Centre channel in the generated 5.1 mix, with options from a discrete Centre channel at one extreme to a phantom Centre at the other. Output level controls are also offered for each of the channels in the final 5.1 mix, according to Soundfield.

No pricing info.