Abstract

The game software for a video game system includes audio data and sound positioning information, in order that the audio data can be processed in accordance with the sound positioning information and played back over two spaced-apart speakers to give the player the impression that the sound is emanating from a location other than the actual speaker locations. A sound processor operates upon monaural signals from an audio synthesizer in response to the sound positioning information from the game software so that each monaural signal from the audio synthesizer is divided into two signals and at least one of the signals is passed through a transfer function to produce two-channel output signals that have a differential phase and amplitude relationship therebetween that is adjusted on a frequency dependent basis. Each different sound location generally requires a specific different relationship, and the sound processor for the video game may include a number of different transfer functions, each of which can be embodied by adjusting a digital filter in response to the sound positioning information. Each digital filter alters the amplitude and phase of the applied signal in a frequency dependent manner over the audio frequency spectrum.