'Red Tails' - George Lucas’s film on the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African-American combat pilots during World War II – is the first movie ever mixed in Auro-3D, a revolutionary sound system that adds an extra height dimension to cinema sound. Since the greater part of 'Red Tails' consists of air combat scenes, Lucasfilm found Auro-3D the most suited sound format for this movie. Thanks to Auro-3D, the sound of airplanes flying overhead in 'Red Tails' will be more realistic and this will surely boost the overall cinema experience of moviegoers.

Watch the exclusive interviews with Matthew Wood, supervising sound editor for 'Red Tails', and David Acord, sound re-recording mixer for 'Red Tails', and discover all the ins and outs of mixing 'Red Tails' in Auro-3D 11.1.

100% compatibility with existing standards

The full Auro-3D speaker layout is defined for up to 13.1 channels, with 11.1 being the current ideal solution for environments such as commercial movie theaters. As Auro-3D technology is compatible with existing formats, standards and distribution mechanisms, only a minimal hardware and installation investment is required to upgrade from traditional 5.1 to the Auro-3D 11.1 audio format.

Commercially viable

Auro-3D can easily be installed in new-built or existing theaters, in most cases utilizing components from your current audio system. According to your speaker layout, simply adding height speakers can bring real 3D audio to your theater. Moreover, Auro-3D sound processing is similar to, and compatible with, existing set-ups.

A unique differentiator

Auro-3D creates a unique differentiator – allowing you to maintain your premium 3D revenues and differentiate yourself from the competition. Combined with visual 3D you can offer your audiences a spectacular and immersive movie experience.

Auro-3D vs. surround sound

While traditional surround sound has only two spatial axes and is missing height and top sound, Auro-3D uses three layers (surround, height and top) to achieve natural 3D sound reproduction. An immersive sound experience is created through the system’s unique processing and the addition of speakers in a third dimension (height). The two layers of speakers in the Auro-3D setup make it possible to introduce the height dimension in sound, something that is impossible in surround sound. For example: surround sound processes an airplane flying overhead and a car driving by in the same way. Auro-3D differentiates these sounds to make the experience more natural.

Auro-3D in a nutshell

• Natural 3D sound, creating an immersive movie experience
• Designed along three spatial axes: width, depth and height
• The first DCI-compliant multi-channel audio format for cinema exhibitors
• 100% compatible with existing standards
• Minimal hardware and installation investment required
• THX approved technology