Re: Trivial, but cool

[nrc@cbemx.cb.att.com (Richard Caldwell x2206)]

In article <CMM-RU.1.4.780307569.vickie@pilot.njin.net>, vickie@pilot.njin.net (WretchAwry) writes:
> (for me anyway)
> 
> I broke my headphones and it's been wonderful! :)  I got the cord
> caught under the chair and something went very weird.  The lead
> vocals of whatever I'm listening to almost completely disappear,
> and so everything is practically an instrumental, except that 
> some of the way background and hidden sounds, and some vocal
> overdubs are right *there*.  At first I cursed the chair and the
> cord (and myself, for not watching what I was doing) but then
> I heard some vocals and instruments that I'd never heard before!

It sounds like you've pulled your ground connection loose from 
the jack but with the ground connections to the left and right 
phones still connected to each other.  The result is basically 
the same configuration as is used for simple matrix surround 
sound systems.  It would take a scientist to explain it (but 
I'll give it a shot anyway :)). 

What you're hearing is the difference between the left and right
channels.   Sounds that are in phase and perfectly balanced between 
the left and right channels will pretty much dissappear, lead vocals 
are usually a perfect example.  The more a sound is on one side or 
the other the more audible it will be.  Even more audible will be 
sounds that are out of phase across the left and right channels.  
Putting in something out of phase is usually done to add depth to 
a sound, although it's sometimes completely accidental.

If you have a simple matrix surround system on your stereo you can
achieve the same affect by turning on matrix surround and turning off
the front speakers.  You won't get the "in your head" affect with
speakers, of course.

-- 
					N. Richard Caldwell
					AT&T Network Systems
					nrc@cbemx.cb.att.com