SoundsField recordingsFrequenciesDecibelsInstrumentsGlossaryToolsLearn
  1. Home
  2. Glossary
  3. Audio effects
  4. Dolby noise-reduction system: Definition & Explanation
Audio effects · Audio engineering

Dolby noise-reduction system

What is dolby noise-reduction system? A clear definition from the audio effects, audio engineering and musical acoustics section of our glossary, with 16 related terms, tools to try and further reading.

Definition of Dolby noise-reduction system

A Dolby noise-reduction system (Dolby NR) is one of a series of noise reduction systems developed by Dolby Laboratories for use in analog audio tape recording. The first was Dolby A, a professional broadband noise reduction system for recording studios that was first demonstrated in 1965, but the best-known is Dolby B (introduced in 1968), a sliding band system for the consumer market, which helped make high fidelity practical on cassette tapes, which used a relatively noisy tape size and speed. It is common on high-fidelity stereo tape players and recorders to the present day. Of the noise reduction systems, Dolby A and Dolby SR were developed for professional use. Dolby B, C, and S were designed for the consumer market. Aside from Dolby HX, all the Dolby variants work by companding: compressing the dynamic range of the sound during recording, and expanding it during playback.

Terms mentioned above

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

What is Dolby noise-reduction system?

A Dolby noise-reduction system (Dolby NR) is one of a series of noise reduction systems developed by Dolby Laboratories for use in analog audio tape recording.

Sources & credits