NeuzTec Quadraphonics
Quadraphonic sound has a long history in electronic and experimental music, where space becomes part of the composition. A four-point field allows sound to move, rotate, drift, collide, and expand in ways stereo cannot. Instead of thinking in left and right, quad invites you to shape depth, direction, and motion—turning the performance venue itself into an instrument.
At NeuzTec, quad is used not as an effect, but as a flexible, expressive system that supports a wide range of artistic approaches. Whether your work is minimal, dense, modular, rhythmic, or fully multichannel, quad provides the spatial vocabulary to match your material.
About This Manual
This manual explains how NeuzTec’s quadraphonic system is configured and how artists can use its routing options during the festival.
The manual includes:
- The quad layout and speaker orientation
- Subwoofer architecture and bass mode choices
- Stereo placement options
- Dual-stereo configurations
- Full quad routing
- Multichannel support
- Artist-selectable output and spatial modes
The goal is clarity. With a shared technical foundation, artists and FOH can move directly into shaping the spatial character of each performance.
This guide walks you through the tools available and how they behave in a quad environment—so you can approach your set with intention and confidence.
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NEUZTEC QUADRAPHONIC MANUAL OUTLINE
1.QUAD ORIENTATION AND PHYSICAL ALIGNMENT
2.SUBWOOFER ARCHITECTURE
3.STEREO SPATIAL MAPPING
4.DUAL STEREO CONFIGURATIONS
5.FULL QUAD ROUTING (FOUR CHANNEL DISCRETE INPUT)
6.MULTICHANNEL ROUTING
7.ARTIST CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
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1.QUAD ORIENTATION AND PHYSICAL ALIGNMENT
Standing at room centre facing the stage:
FL = Front Left
FR = Front Right
BL = Back Left
BR = Back Right
The four speakers are laser aligned and angled inward at roughly 45 degrees. Their axes cross at the centre of Wood Hall, producing precise imaging and a stable quad field.
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2.SUBWOOFER ARCHITECTURE
Each quad channel includes its own independent subwoofer send.
2.1 Summed Bass (Mono Subs)
All sub channels are combined into a single low frequency feed. Produces strong central bass energy.
2.2 Spatial Bass (Default)
Each sub follows its corresponding channel. Allows directional bass movement.
2.3 Hybrid Bass
Blend of Summed and Spatial modes.
2.4 Dedicated Sub Stems
Artists may send isolated low frequency channels such as kick, drones, tones, LFO layers.
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3.STEREO SPATIAL MAPPING
All mappings listed FL, FR, BL, BR.
3.1 Standard Front Stereo
FL = L
FR = R
BL = -
BR = -
Focused and articulate front stereo. FOH may add subtle support.
3.2 Full Quad Stereo Spread
FL = L
FR = R
BL = L
BR = R
Wide wraparound stereo.
3.3 Rotated Stereo (Side Imaging)
FL = L
FR = R
BL = R
BR = L
Sidewall drift and lateral motion.
3.4 Diagonal Stereo (Cross Mapped)
FL = L
FR = R
BL = R
BR = L
Diagonal corner to corner movement.
3.5 Adaptive Stereo
FOH adjusts mapping in real time.
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4.DUAL STEREO CONFIGURATIONS
Two independent stereo layers: Pair A and Pair B.
Mappings shown FL, FR, BL, BR.
4.1 Front + Back
Pair A Front:
FL = L
FR = R
BL = -
BR = -
Pair B Back:
FL = -
FR = -
BL = L
BR = R
A clear, anchored front image supported by a soft rear bed, ideal for narrative or evolving sets.
4.2 Front + Rotated
Pair A Front:
FL = L
FR = R
BL = -
BR = -
Pair B Rotated:
FL = L
FR = R
BL = R
BR = L
Stable forward focus with a drifting sideways motion behind, adding tension or movement to the scene.
4.3 Quad Spread + Front Focused
Pair A Quad Spread:
FL = L
FR = R
BL = L
BR = R
Pair B Front:
FL = L
FR = R
BL = -
BR = -
A wide, immersive base layer with a crisp foreground stereo image for leads or melodic detail.
4.4 Quad Spread + Side Focused
Pair A Quad Spread:
FL = L
FR = R
BL = L
BR = R
Pair B Side Focused:
FL = L
FR = R
BL = R
BR = L
Atmospheric room-filling texture with added lateral motion that shifts energy along the walls.
4.5 Diagonal + Front
Pair A Diagonal:
FL = L
FR = R
BL = R
BR = L
Pair B Front:
FL = L
FR = R
BL = -
BR = -
A diagonal pull across the room with a stable forward anchor, keeping the image grounded while adding tension and movement along the diagonal axis.
4.6 Diagonal + Side
Pair A Diagonal:
FL = L
FR = R
BL = R
BR = L
Pair B Side:
FL = L
FR = R
BL = R
BR = L
A diagonal field with added lateral pressure, creating a more fluid, drifting motion along the sidewalls without the forward stability of the Diagonal + Front configuration.
4.7 Adaptive Dual Stereo
Pair A Adaptive:
FL = var
FR = var
BL = var
BR = var
Pair B Adaptive:
FL = var
FR = var
BL = var
BR = var
Both stereo layers can shift dynamically, allowing continuous evolution and real-time spatial shaping.
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5.FULL QUAD ROUTING (FOUR CHANNEL DISCRETE INPUT)
1 = FL
2 = FR
3 = BL
4 = BR
Supports up to four independent quad sets (16 channels).
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6.MULTICHANNEL ROUTING
For percussion stems, drones, textures, melodic lines, harmonic beds, spatial objects, automation.
These channels can routed independently in the quad field.
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7.ARTIST CONFIGURATION OPTIONS
7.1 Output Formats
Mono
Stereo
Dual Stereo
Quad
Multi Quad
Multichannel
7.2 Stereo Placements
Standard
Spread
Rotated
Diagonal
Adaptive
7.3 Dual Stereo Layouts
Front + Back
Front + Rotated
Quad + Front
Quad + Side
Diagonal + Front or Side
Adaptive Dual Stereo
7.4 Bass Modes
Summed
Spatial
Hybrid
Dedicated Low Frequency Stems
7.5 Additional Options
Motion paths
Spatial scenes
Timecode coordinated cues (advance notice required)
NeuzTec Quad Sound System designed for exploration.
8.THE JOY AND HISTORY OF QUAD
8.1 Historical Context
Quadraphonic sound has played a significant role in electronic and experimental music since the 1970s. Early practitioners treated spatial placement as a core musical parameter rather than an effect. Work by artists such as Suzanne Ciani demonstrated that quad is not simply “four-channel playback,” but a spatial instrument capable of gesture, motion, and environmental shaping.
8.2 Spatial Audio as a Performance Tool
Quad systems extend control beyond amplitude and frequency. Direction, movement, and spatial contrast become compositional elements. Signals can rotate, translate, collide, diffuse, or anchor the sound field. These behaviors influence listener orientation, immersion, and perceived dynamics within the room.
8.3 Performer and Engineer Collaboration
Quad performance benefits from coordinated interaction between the artist and FOH engineer. Artists define the intended spatial character through routing choices (stereo mapping, dual stereo, quad, multichannel). The engineer shapes distribution, balance, and spatial motion in real time to support the performance’s dynamics and energy flow. This shared control allows the room itself to function as part of the instrument.
8.4 Room Interaction and Audience Orientation
Wood Hall’s inward-facing quad array produces a defined imaging plane with notable spatial consistency at the room’s center. Movements across the field—front/back, side-to-side, or diagonal—create variations in clarity, intensity, and perceived motion. Changes in routing or bass behavior can shift audience focus, widen or compress the field, or amplify directional effects.
8.5 Creative Flexibility
The NeuzTec quad system provides a range of selectable spatial modes:
– Mono, stereo, dual stereo, quad, multi-quad, and multichannel inputs
– Multiple stereo placements (standard, spread, rotated, diagonal)
– Independent subwoofer behaviors (summed, spatial, hybrid, dedicated stems)
This flexibility enables each artist to construct the spatial architecture that best matches their material. Quad at NeuzTec is designed to support intentional choices, experimental workflows, and the full expressive potential of spatial audio.