Pink Floyd and Spatial Sound

Pink Floyd were—alongside the Beatles—among the first rock bands to systematically experiment with advanced studio production and live performance technologies.s Their work extended beyond sound synthesis and tape techniques to include early spatial and immersive approaches to sound diffusion.

As early as 1967, Pink Floyd introduced the Azimuth Coordinator, a custom-built control device that enabled the real-time distribution of audio signals across four loudspeakers using a joystick interface. Originally developed for live performances, the system allowed performers or technicians to manually position sounds within a quadraphonic loudspeaker layout, anticipating later practices in spatial audio performance and diffusion (Brautschek et al., 2018).

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Azimuth_Co-ordinator_used_by_Pink_Floyd_VA.jpg

The Dark Side of the Moon occupies a special position in the history of spatial music: it is a work of popular music in which spatial organization functions as a compositional and formal parameter rather than as a secondary effect. Spatial thinking is articulated primarily through studio practice, not through a dedicated multichannel format. The album’s spatiality emerges from techniques such as multi-track recording, panning automation, tape loops, sound effects, and controlled reverberation, which together construct a coherent spatial dramaturgy within an otherwise conventional stereo medium.

Quadraphonic LP (SQ)

Sansui QRX quadraphonic receiver — Example of a quadraphonic receiver with integrated SQ decoder (Sansui QRX series, early 1970s).

The Dark Side of the Moon was released in 1973 in a quadraphonic LP version using the SQ matrix system. Four channels were matrix-encoded into two and pressed on a standard vinyl record. Playback was possible on any stereo turntable; decoding to four loudspeakers required an SQ decoder, typically integrated into quadraphonic receivers of the period. Spatial separation was limited and playback-dependent.

Example available hardware in the 1970s:

Quadraphonic receiver with SQ decoder (example): Sansui QRX series
Record player (standard stereo turntable, example): Technics SL-1200

References

2018

Christoph von Blumröder. Zur bedeutung der elektronik in karlheinz stockhausens œuvre / the significance of electronics in karlheinz stockhausen's work. Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, 75(3):166–178, 2018.
[abstract▼] [details] [BibTeX▼]

Composing within the electronic medium, i. e. modifying sound with the help of electroacoustic apparatuses, has been an essential determinating factor in the musical work of Karlheinz Stockhausen, as a spectrum of electronic pieces from Studie I (1953) to Kontakte (1958-60), Mixtur (1964), Hymnen (1966-67), Oktophonie (1990/91), and Cosmic Pulses (2007) documents. The article considers this seemingly well-known fact from a revised musicological perspective. Considerations from a broader compositional-creative context that include both instrumental and vocal components lead to insights into the origins and history of some of Stockhausen's electronic projects that have found less attention until now.
```
@article{vonblumroeder2018zurbedeutung,
    author = "Blumröder, Christoph von",
    journal = "Archiv für Musikwissenschaft",
    number = "3",
    pages = "166–178",
    publisher = "Franz Steiner Verlag",
    title = "Zur Bedeutung der Elektronik in Karlheinz Stockhausens Œuvre / The Significance of Electronics in Karlheinz Stockhausen's Work",
    volume = "75",
    year = "2018"
}
```

Tomy Brautschek and Maximilian Haberer. Echoes of pink floyd: experiencing intimacy through acoustic immersion. Sound Studies, 4(2):234–237, 2018.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@article{brautschek2018echoes,
    author = "Brautschek, Tomy and Haberer, Maximilian",
    title = "Echoes of Pink Floyd: experiencing intimacy through acoustic immersion",
    journal = "Sound Studies",
    volume = "4",
    number = "2",
    pages = "234--237",
    year = "2018",
    publisher = "Taylor \\& Francis"
}

2015

Martha Brech and Henrik von Coler. Aspects of space in Luigi Nono's Prometeo and the use of the Halaphon. In Martha Brech and Ralph Paland, editors, Compositions for Audible Space, Music and Sound Culture, pages 193–204. transctript, 2015.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@incollection{vonColer2015aspects,
    author = "Brech, Martha and von Coler, Henrik",
    editor = "Brech, Martha and Paland, Ralph",
    booktitle = "Compositions for Audible Space",
    pages = "193--204",
    publisher = "transctript",
    series = "{Music and Sound Culture}",
    title = "Aspects of Space in {Luigi Nono's Prometeo} and the use of the {Halaphon}",
    year = "2015"
}

2011

John Chowning. Turenas: the realization of a dream. In Proceedings of the 17th Journées d\rq Informatique Musicale. 2011.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@inproceedings{chowning2011turenas,
    author = "Chowning, John",
    booktitle = "{Proceedings of the 17th Journ{\'e}es d{\rq}Informatique Musicale}",
    location = "Saint-Etienne, France",
    title = "Turenas: The Realization of a Dream",
    year = "2011"
}

2010

Peter Moormann. Raum-musik als kontaktzone. stockhausens hymnen bei der weltausstellung in osaka 1970. Paragrana, 19(2):33–43, 2010. URL: https://doi.org/10.1524/para.2010.0023, doi:doi:10.1524/para.2010.0023.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@article{moormann2010raum,
    author = "Moormann, Peter",
    doi = "doi:10.1524/para.2010.0023",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1524/para.2010.0023",
    title = "Raum-Musik als Kontaktzone. Stockhausens Hymnen bei der Weltausstellung in Osaka 1970",
    journal = "Paragrana",
    number = "2",
    volume = "19",
    year = "2010",
    pages = "33--43"
}

2008

Marco Böhlandt. “kontakte” – reflexionen naturwissenschaftlich-technischer innovationsprozesse in der frühen elektronischen musik karlheinz stockhausens (1952–1960). Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte, 31(3):226–248, 2008.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@article{boehlandt2008kontakte,
    author = "Böhlandt, Marco",
    title = "“Kontakte” – Reflexionen naturwissenschaftlich-technischer Innovationsprozesse in der frühen Elektronischen Musik Karlheinz Stockhausens (1952–1960)",
    journal = "Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte",
    volume = "31",
    number = "3",
    pages = "226-248",
    keywords = "Karlheinz Stockhausen, electroacoustic, sound research, composing, music aesthetics, music history, musicology, psychoacoustics, realisation technology, sound studio technology., Karlheinz Stockhausen, Elektroakustik, Klangforschung, Komposition, Musikästhetik, Musikgeschichte, Musikwissenschaft, Psychoakustik, Realisationstechnik, Tonstudiotechnik.",
    year = "2008"
}

Jonas Braasch, Nils Peters, and Daniel Valente. A loudspeaker-based projection technique for spatial music applications using virtual microphone control. Computer Music Journal, 32:55–71, 09 2008.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@article{braasch2008aloudspeaker,
    author = "Braasch, Jonas and Peters, Nils and Valente, Daniel",
    year = "2008",
    month = "09",
    pages = "55-71",
    title = "A Loudspeaker-Based Projection Technique for Spatial Music Applications Using Virtual Microphone Control",
    volume = "32",
    journal = "Computer Music Journal"
}

1980

François Potard. L’acousmonium. In Pierre Schaeffer, editor, La Musique électroacoustique. INA–GRM / Buchet-Chastel, Paris, 1980.
[details] [BibTeX▼]

@incollection{Potard1980,
    author = "Potard, François",
    editor = "Schaeffer, Pierre",
    title = "L’Acousmonium",
    booktitle = "La Musique électroacoustique",
    publisher = "INA–GRM / Buchet-Chastel",
    year = "1980",
    address = "Paris"
}