Hi, I did try a demo version of this previously, and have downloaded the new version and installed it. I don't have a ProTools HD system, and those plug-ins were not installed, apparently automatically. So, I'm using Reaper.
I still can't quite grasp the way it functions. Yes, the default output is binaural, via a decoder. It does seem generally convincing, though I've only really scratched the surface. The earlier version could take 1st order B-Format ambisonic files, but not output B-Format. The new version seems to be able to do that, presumably to enable loudspeaker monitoring with a suitable decoder. I haven't yet come across dedicated decoder in the program, but may not have looked hard enough. From what I've seen so far, it seems still to be 1st order ambisonics. VR and games has triggered a new interest in ambisonics and suitable microphones. I haven't come across any hard info on what is going on, though ambisonics with a binaural decode seems to make sense. The Oculus Rift, and many games, is/are a rather solitary experience, and headphones require little extra hardware. I does seem to be designed to help produce content for a games engine (or Oculus Rift) as an eight-channel file. The plug-ins provide a method for hearing how various elements work in the game/experience without having to be running the game and having to program how sound is handled within it. Any objects in a game or VR experience with sound (probably not ambisonic but mono or perhaps stereo) would be handled directly by their spatial engine in the game/experience, so that they would be interactive. Possibly it is designed for producing more general "soundscapes". If these were ambisonic, they could be rotated around any axis, subject to dominance in any direction, and the volume changed with distance in response to listener movements. As far as I know, there is no way to move a listener within a B-Format soundfield, though if I'm wrong I'd love to know how it is done. It would then be encoded to binaural in the game/experience spatial audio engine. So 1st order ambisonics could account for 4 channels of the 8-channel file. So, what would the other 4 channels be for ?? Originally I thought that it may be another 1st order ambisonic stream to drive the "room" reverb engine but, as that would be in the game/experience engine, that doesn't make much sense. Four binaural streams doesn't make sense either, as all you could really do is cross-fade between them. Anybody got other ideas. Ciao, Dave Hunt > -- > Augustine Leudar > Artistic Director Magik Door LTD > Company Number : NI635217 > Registered 63 Ballycoan rd, > Belfast BT88LL > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: > <https://mail.music.vt.edu/mailman/private/sursound/attachments/20160524/3cedc23f/attachment.html> > > > > From: Wim <object...@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Sursound] Facebook spatial workstation > Date: 24 May 2016 13:28:04 BST > To: Surround Sound discussion group <sursound@music.vt.edu> > > > Hi, > > I suspect it is squarely aimed at the Oculus Rift, also acquired by > Facebook, as it loads the HRTF from the VR viewer. That also means it's > probably more suited for gaming imho. > > From what I've seen in the docs, it's a fairly complete toolkit. The > software developer's toolkit is not included and I haven't searched for it > yet. A Windows version will follow. > > Included are two VST2/VST3/AAX plugins, a VR video viewer and an encoder. > Also, there are setup templates for Nuendo, Reaper and ProTools, which is > nice to get you started. > > It supports B-format as input. > > As there is also a new release for the ATK for Reaper, I won't be playing > with this one yet, as my interest goes more to the approach from Trond, > which is far more open. > > > Cheers, > > Wim > > > From: Steven Boardman <boardroomout...@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Sursound] Facebook spatial workstation > Date: 24 May 2016 13:43:52 BST > To: Surround Sound discussion group <sursound@music.vt.edu> > > > Just installed, and viewed, but haven’t listened yet. Plugins are VST, VST3 > and Protools. > They are the ’Two Big Ears’ plugins. > It is for an 8 channel export so not quite second order, but yes the only > decode is binaural. Although there is the ability to turn this off. Not sure > if the output isn’t a propriety though so not sure if other decodes are > possible… > The Spatialiser Plugin allows input from mono to 7 channel and also FuMa and > AmbiX B-Format. Although the VST3 plug doesn’t seem to, and crashes Reaper. > It also has distance and doppler simulation, and a room button, which allows > the track to take on the room character from the control plug. I think this > real time HRTF room modelling as opposed to anechoic. > The master control plugin syncs up to video and can take its focus and > tracking from that. It also has a room simulator that allows each spatialiser > track to be placed within. This also implies a proprietary audio stream as > how else would this be possible? > > Will feed back when listened properly. > > Looks like Ambisomics is well and truly here folks!!! > > best > > Steve > _______________________________________________ Sursound mailing list Sursound@music.vt.edu https://mail.music.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/sursound - unsubscribe here, edit account or options, view archives and so on.
