Wakefield, UK - May 14, 2009 - Soundfield has begun shipping the first quantities of the UPM-1 stereo-to-5.1 converter. The UPM-1 is 1RU processor that creates 5.1 material from stereo program material.

The UPM-1 works not by adding reverb or using phase shifts to generate new material for the rear channels, but derives the surround information from spatial information present in the original stereo signal. The UPM-1's processing is adaptive and will change with the input signal.

The UPM-1 generates 5.1 from two channels by analyzing the original stereo audio using a patented algorithm that separates the audio into its direct and ambient components. These elements can then be processed separately and routed in different proportions to the 5.1 mix if required, using the UPM-1's front-panel rotary controls.