Ambisonics VR

[Gusher]

Hello, i need info/guide on how to convert a standard wav file stereo to ambisonics for use in VR..what do i need to do this in mixcraft? Is it a VST plugin?

[comedians]

Not exactly knowledgeable in this field or even sure if this will help but you could look at the University of York music technology dept. They are experts - so a friend who studied there tells me.

https://www.york.ac.uk/inst/mustech/3d_ ... lcome.html

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

We designed Mixcraft to be a purely stereo music creation engine and it doesn't support surround, so unless any ambisonic plugins work with stereo applications, you probably can't use them with Mixcraft.

Greg

[Mark Bliss]

Fascinated by the technology and potential, I looked into this about 2 years ago.

The ability to manipulate sound fields so that you can distinctly hear things for example behind, above, below your perspective could be fun. Some examples, even via common stereo headphones are amazing.

However, I found the software available at the time to be highly proprietary and prohibitively expensive. Often only available bundled together with other very expensive software suites marketed to a target audience of professional game and video production studios.

Hopefully that will change at some future point.
If anyone finds anything of interest, please share!

[Gusher]

Hello again, I was told by someone that ambisonics format can be designed in a stereo DAW but stated that Reaper does a better job at it. Greg, if you can research and confirm that it would be great cuz I don't want to get Reaper just to do Ambisonics..I was told that this VST plugin will work, but looking at the bottom of their page Mixcraft is not listed, only Reaper, Nuendo, Protools HD, and Logic Pro...if you can look into it and confirm would be great...VR/360 media is exploding everywhere now..many youtube videos are using it
http://www.noisemakers.fr/ambi-pan/

[Acoustica Greg]

Hi,

Looks like they have a demo version. You can download it and try it out.

Greg

[Gusher]

OK..will take a peek at it..

[AHornsby]

Yeah. Unless they invent a new football helmet with 148 little speakers inside to take the place of headphones, it's dead in the water baby.

[Gusher]

Not really, according to a musician doing VR work...according to him he say would take longer to make going through each channel track and adjust audio and with help of an audio DB chart..

[AHornsby]

Maybe someday... I was looking over the big Sweetwater catalog this morning and did see some Ambisonic mics so the trail is being blazed.

[Gusher]

He did suggest for true clean quick ambisonic sound to use ambisonic mics..

[Mark Bliss]

Thanks for adding the link, that helps with specifics.

One thing I found in my prior research was that clearly, algorithms and programming varies. A quick listen to the demo (Vimeo video overview) on the webpage makes me think this company has done pretty well.

Getting panning and a sense of peripheral distance doesn't seem too hard. A good sense of vertical space is of course a little more tricky. But the ultimate trick IMO is a distinct sense of sound from behind the listener. This seems to separate the wannabe's from the serious contenders in the field.

I don't really care so much about binaural recording at this point. But the ability to create a 3D audio field in a mix intrigues me a great deal.
Even if you only use the tools to more easily create depth and space, it could be quite useful.

The price point has improved, but its still a little high for me, as a casual user. But I appreciate the update, I'm keeping an eye on this.

And for Harry, and anyone else who has doubts, listen to the demo. Yes it requires headphones to appreciate, but the results can be impressive.
For more put on your headphones and try these:

https://youtu.be/pvr3gr8BzA0

This ones kinda weird:

https://youtu.be/dW-2UfJe7HM

Check out the golf balls bouncing by part way through this example:

https://youtu.be/3FwDa7TWHHc

Pretty impressive using just stereo headphones IMO.

For more examples, Google "Binaural audio examples", or "3D audio".

[Gusher]

Hey Mark, if you really think 3d audio is a big interest to you you might want to apply as developer at a VR project am involved... just apply at https://www.sansar.com/

[AHornsby]

Then there is always the power of suggestion so when someone says they're behind you that must mean you should actually hear them as if they were. Meh. Besides, if you're in a VR mode you won't have your eyes closed in the first place so as you do that you're falling for the oldest hypnotic trick in the book.

Apparently no one likes my football helmet idea...

[Acoustica Greg]

There's always The Audium.