A Chronology of Dolby Laboratories May 1965-May 1998 A Chronology of Dolby Laboratories 1965 May 1965 November 1967 Dolby Laboratories founded in London New York office established for U.S. SW6 by Ray M. Dolby, American physicist, distribution of professional Dolby equip- with staff of four. ment. Summer 1965 1967-68 1968 Development of prototype audio and video B-type noise reduction developed. noise reduction systems. International network established for November 1965 distribution of professional equipment in Dolby Laboratories, 1965: top floor at 590 Wandsworth Road, Dolby A-type noise reduction system for Europe, Japan, and Australia. London SW6. professional music recording demonstrated to Decca Record Company, London. June 1968 The first licensed First consumer product equipped with consumer product with 1966 January 1966 Dolby B-type, KLH Model 40 open-reel Dolby B-type NR, the KLH Model 40 recorder. After system tests, Decca orders first nine tape recorder, released in U.S. under first A301 professional noise reduction units. license agreement (exclusive until 1970). April 1966 November 1968 First production A301 units delivered to Move to London premises at 346 Clapham Dolby Laboratories’ first Decca at £700 ($2,000) each. Road, SW9. Dramatic increase in orders for product, the A301 A-type noise Model A301, due to price reduction from reduction unit. 346 Clapham Road, London: May 1966 £700 to £560 resulting from improved company headquarters until 1976, European headquarters First commercial recording session production facilities. until 1992. employing Dolby A-type, Vladimir Ashkenazy playing Mozart piano concer- 1968-69 1969 tos. Investigation of high-performance Com- pact Cassette by combining Dolby B-type November 1966 noise reduction with quality cassette First LP from master tapes made with recorders. Concept demonstrated to high Dolby A-type released by Decca (London fidelity industry using optimized The Dolby Model 505 was supplied to potential licensees Harman-Kardon CAD-4 recorder and The first LP released from Records in the U.S.), Solti conducting for demonstrating the effects master tapes recorded with Dolby Model 505 B-type noise reduction of B-type NR with consumer Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (SET 3256). tape recorders. Dolby A-type NR. unit developed for demonstration pur- 1967 Winter 1966-67 poses. Introduction of A-type NR in U.S. with first sales to CBS, RCA, MCA, Vanguard, 1969 and several independents. Increased Increased need for Dolby A-type as coverage of Dolby NR by audio and music recording industry’s switch to multitrack industry press. formats results in higher noise levels. By year’s end, majority of London pop music April 1967 studios equipped with Dolby noise Liaison with first consumer hi-fi manufac- reduction. By 1972, 42 16-track recorders turer, Henry Kloss of KLH in Cambridge, in London alone equipped on all tracks. Monitoring an early recording MA, to explore possibility of simplified session using Dolby A301 NR noise reduction circuitry for home equip- October 1969 units. ment. Negotiations begun on licensing High-performance cassette concept Early multitrack installation Dolby noise reduction for consumer demonstrated at Audio Engineering with Dolby A301 units. applications. Distinction now made Society (AES) convention in New York. between A-type (professional) and B-type Presentations made to Advent, Fisher, and (consumer) systems. Harman-Kardon consumer hi-fi companies. October 1967 Further production facilities added in London SW8. 1 ©1998 Dolby Laboratories Inc. S98/11615/12094 Dolby, AC-3, Pro Logic, Time Link and the Double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 1970 1970-72 December 1971 Extensive travels by Dolby staff in U.S., A Clockwork Orange, first film to use Europe, and Japan to introduce high Dolby noise reduction on all pre-mixes and fidelity cassette concept to more consumer masters, released (with conventional optical equipment and tape manufacturers. soundtrack). Add-on consumer noise reduc- tion units like the Advent 100 convinced “audiophiles” that February 1970 February 1972 1972 Dolby B NR really worked. First add-on consumer Dolby B-type noise Introduction of Dolby Model 364 cinema reduction unit, Model 100, introduced by unit for decoding mono optical sound- The Model 364, for second Dolby licensee, Advent Corpora- tracks encoded with A-type noise reduc- decoding mono 35 mm optical soundtracks tion. tion. Distributed outside U.S. by Rank encoded with A-type NR, Film Equipment. was the first Dolby product designed June 1970 specifically for the cinema. Introduction of Dolby Model 320, B-type March 1972 Dolby Model 320 B-type encoder for pre-recorded unit for encoding pre-recorded cassettes. Full-time FM broadcasts encoded with cassettes. Extensive work begun with Ampex Stereo Dolby B-type noise reduction begun in Tapes in the U.S. and Decca in the U.K. to New York by WQXR. produce pre-recorded cassettes encoded with B-type noise reduction. Summer 1972 Results of using Dolby A-type with Summer 1970 experimental 16 mm stereo optical Arrival in the U.S. of first high fidelity soundtrack format reported by Eastman cassette recorders incorporating Dolby Kodak. One of the first licensed B-type (Advent, Fisher, and Harman- cassette decks with Dolby B-type NR, the Harman- Kardon), all manufactured in Japan by September 1972 The first Dolby multitrack Kardon CAD-5. noise reduction unit, the third Dolby licensee, Nakamichi. Dolby M Series multitrack A-type units M Series, took full advantage introduced at AES convention in New of the compact Cat. No. 22 September 1970 York. A-type module. Launch of second-generation Dolby A-type units, Model 360 Series, with identical January 1973 1973 The slim new Dolby 360 Series characteristics to Model A301 but in Samples of first B-type IC, Signetics A-type noise reduction unit smaller format better suited to multitrack NE545, sent to licensees for evaluation. was better suited to multitrack installations (below) than the installations. A301. June 1973 Fifth company, Revox, signs license Proposal by Dolby Laboratories for Signetics’ B-type IC made it agreement. combining B-type noise reduction and 25 easier to incorporate Dolby microsecond pre-emphasis in FM broad- NR in consumer products. November 1970 casting published in Journal of the Audio First B-type pre-recorded audio cassettes Engineering Society. released independently by Ampex and Decca. September 1973 Dolby Model E2 Cinema Equalizer Investigation of application of A-type noise introduced for use in theatres to comple- reduction to cinema sound results in first ment A-type noise reduction techniques for Multitrack installation with tests with excerpts from a production film, film soundtracks. Dolby Model 361s. Jane Eyre. October 1973 1971 January 1971 Philips, inventor of Compact Cassette, Japanese licensing liaison office established signs license. in Tokyo with Continental Far East, Inc. February 1974 1974 May 1971 Dolby FM system combining B-type noise Agreement negotiated with Signetics for reduction and 25 microsecond pre- development of first Dolby B-type IC. emphasis demonstrated to Federal Com- munication Commission (FCC). June 1971 Beginning with the 360 Series, First experimental FM broadcasts using May 1974 the Dolby Cat. No. 22 A-type module was incorporated in Dolby Model 320 B-type encoder unit, by Callan, first film with optical soundtrack Dolby products for nearly two WFMT in Chicago. (mono) encoded with A-type noise decades; more than 90,000 modules have been reduction, shown at Cannes film festival. manufactured. Summer 1971 Increased licensing activities result in 30 June 1974 licensees by end of year, including Sony, 25 microsecond Dolby FM broadcasts Matsushita, and JVC. approved for U.S. by FCC. 2 July 1974 October 1976 First 35 mm stereo optical recorder Introduction of Dolby CP50 Cinema commissioned by Dolby Laboratories at Processor, economical theatre unit for EMI Elstree Studios, England. Milestone reproduction of 35 mm Dolby Stereo in development of stereo variable area optical releases. (SVA) soundtrack format now widely associated with Dolby Laboratories’ January 1977 1977 involvement with film sound. Establishment of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation with responsibility October 1974 for all licensing activities. Dolby Models 330 and 334 introduced for The Dolby Model 330 tape pre-recorded cassette duplication and May 1977 The economical Dolby CP50 duplication unit (pictured) and Dolby FM broadcasting. Opening of Star Wars in 46 U.S. theatres Cinema Processor for stereo Model 334 FM broadcast unit optical releases. featured the new slim format equipped for Dolby Stereo, plus release of of the 360 Series. November 1974 Close Encounters of the Third Kind later in 35 mm Dolby Stereo optical soundtrack year, greatly increase public awareness of format introduced at SMPTE convention Dolby Stereo and trigger further theatre in Toronto using specially re-mixed section installations. of Stardust. Advantages include per- formance comparable to older 35 mm December 1977 magnetic process at considerably less cost Twelve films released with Dolby Stereo to producers, distributors, and exhibitors. soundtracks in 1977, bringing to 30 number of films with A-type encoded 1975 February 1975 soundtracks. Dolby CP100 Cinema Processor intro- duced for reproduction of Dolby Stereo April 1978 1978 magnetic and optical soundtracks. First Star Wars (1977) is first of 18 films