Marcoussis et Orléans, France – Octobre 2021

Aujourd’hui la consommation de divertissement étant avide d’expériences riches et immersives, l’audio immersif tend à devenir un élément central dans divers flux de travail de production. Cependant, la multiplication du nombre de plateformes et de langages de communication propriétaires a été une barrière à l’adoption généralisée de l’audio spatial, et un défi à l’interopérabilité entre les outils de production. En effet, pour citer une vieille blague de l’industrie technologique, l’avantage des normes, c’est qu’il y en a tellement.

Aujourd’hui, FLUX::Immersive, L-Acoustics, Radio France et d’autres fabricants majeurs de l’industrie ont rejoint une initiative visant à standardiser Open Sound Control (OSC) en tant que protocole de transmission pour l’interopérabilité des systèmes audio immersifs.

La norme ITU BS.2076-2 Audio Definition Model (ADM) est une solution pour l’archivage et l’interopérabilité des productions audio immersives. ADM-OSC fournit une implémentation qui suit la norme de l’ITU, permettant de diffuser en temps réel les informations de positionnement des objets audio en utilisant le protocole Open Sound Control.

En s’appuyant sur les expériences d’utilisation de Radio-France, FLUX:: Immersive et L-Acoustics ont uni leurs forces pour créer un langage commun afin de faciliter l’intégration des systèmes dans le processus de production.

“Depuis 2018, Radio France mène des expérimentations de productions de concerts de musique électronique réalisés en audio orienté objets”, explique Hervé Déjardin, responsable de projets innovation audio à Radio-France.

“Ces essais ont mis en évidence le besoin d’un protocole commun entre les différents éléments de la chaîne.  L’objectif étant de pouvoir adresser les flux de métadonnées à différents moteurs de rendu sans passer par des traducteurs.”

ADM-OSC propose un langage de communication universel entre les logiciels audio basés sur des objets pour le direct et la post-production. Un groupe de travail technique composé de spécialistes de l’industrie a été créé pour faire avancer cette proposition et collaborer sur les fonctionnalités. Ce groupe de travail a reçu le soutien de plusieurs fabricants et le langage ADM-OSC est actuellement mis en œuvre dans certains logiciels audio.

Comme l’explique Hugo Larin, FLUX: : Immersive Business Director : “Il n’y a rien de pire que d’essayer de construire un flux de travail intégré qui incorpore plusieurs fabricants et de finalement accouché d’un protocole de communication propriétaire. Nous avons senti qu’il était nécessaire d’adopter une communication commune, une grammaire commune, entre les acteurs de l’industrie.”

C’est dans cet esprit que FLUX::Immersive a ajouté ADM-OSC comme option de communication OSC d’entrée ou de sortie dans sa plateforme SPAT Revolution.

“Notre expérience nous montre clairement les défis que représente l’intégration de plusieurs éditeurs d’objets et/ou de renderers fournissant divers formats de flux dans une production”, observe Hugo Larin.

“Permettre aux outils d’interagir dans l’environnement du jour ou à différentes étapes d’un projet est l’une des choses que ce langage autour des objets audio peut brillamment réaliser.”

Guillaume Le Nost, directeur exécutif de L-Acoustics, Creative Technologies, ajoute : “En tant qu’industrie, nous devons définir le flux de travail immersif pour permettre la prochaine génération de productions. Je suis très heureux de constater que de nombreux fabricants de produits audio professionnels ont réagi positivement à notre initiative, des stations de travail audio numériques aux systèmes de diffusion. J’ai vraiment hâte de créer un écosystème très solide, dans lequel les utilisateurs pourront facilement utiliser plusieurs moteurs de rendu audio en même temps, ou passer facilement à la post-production avec des fichiers ADM au centre de leur flux de travail. ADM-OSC n’en est qu’à ses débuts, mais les utilisateurs et les fabricants peuvent déjà essayer une première mise en œuvre d’ADM-OSC dans notre logiciel L-ISA Controller.”

Un répertoire GitHub contenant les spécifications et un outil de test est disponible à l’adresse suivante : https://github.com/immersive-audio-live/ADM-OSC.

A propos de FLUX:: Immersive
FLUX: : Immersive s’est forgé une réputation de leader dans la création de logiciels de traitement audio avec l’idée maîtresse de concevoir des outils techniquement innovants et inspirants pour les ingénieurs du son, et sans compromis sur la qualité audio. La société a toujours été à l’avant-garde du développement de solutions logicielles pour l’industrie audio professionnelle, prenant notamment en charge le traitement multicanal, qui, depuis plus d’une décennie, est fréquemment utilisé pour l’enregistrement surround, la post-production de films, le son immersif en direct et en installation, et dans diverses autres applications.

A propos de SPAT Revolution
SPAT Revolution est un moteur de mixage audio immersif en temps réel à la pointe de la technologie, définissant l’art du mixage perceptif et orienté objet. Il permet de positionner intuitivement les sources audio dans l’espace, tout en permettant à la simulation acoustique de renforcer les impressions de profondeur et de localisation, indépendamment du format de sortie.

Conçu pour s’intégrer dans pratiquement n’importe quel flux de travail et doté d’une automatisation complète des paramètres de spatialisation, SPAT Revolution offre un large éventail de possibilités, permettant aux artistes, aux sound-designers et aux ingénieurs du son de concevoir, créer et mixer une expérience immersive exceptionnelle.

SPAT Revolution est le résultat d’un partenariat entre FLUX: : Immersive et l’institut de recherche français Ircam, créé pour mettre à la disposition du marché les vastes technologies développées.

About L-Acoustics
Founded in 1984 near Paris, France, L-Acoustics is the market leader in professional sound reinforcement technologies. With over 550 team members worldwide and offices in Paris, London, Singapore, Los Angeles, and New York, L-Acoustics is present in over 80 countries via our network of Certified Providers. Focused on solutions that elevate the audience experience, more than 20% of L-Acoustics’ talent is devoted to R&D in the areas of acoustics, applications, mechanics, electronics, signal processing, and software development. In recognition of creating innovative professional sound technology, L-Acoustics was named as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2020.

Recognized for pioneering the line source array, L-Acoustics continues to shape the future of the professional audio industry with L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology, a multidimensional, object-based approach to designing, mixing, and processing sound that results in extremely natural and intelligible audio, and a more vibrant, authentic connection between artists and their fans. Now also available for exceptional private sound spaces with L-Acoustics Creations designs.

L-Acoustics technologies can be heard in places like the Hollywood Bowl, Dickies Arena, Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich, or the Philharmonie de Paris, as well as the world’s top-grossing festivals, and on tour with world-class artists such as Mark Knopfler, Aerosmith, and P!NK.

A propos de Ircam
L’Ircam, Institut de recherche et de coordination en acoustique/musique, est l’un des principaux instituts publics de recherche au monde dans les domaines de l’expression musicale, de la science de la musique, du son et de l’acoustique. Ces dernières décennies, l’institut a joué un rôle important dans le monde de la musique d’avant-garde et de l’art électroacoustique, grâce à ses innovations scientifiques et technologiques révolutionnaires, dont de nombreux concepts de musique électronique et de traitement audio.

The easiest and fastest way to get started with SPAT Revolution in a DAW environment is by using the Local Audio Path mode, running SPAT Revolution on the same workstation as the DAW.

To facilitate this and to get started easily, we have created sessions and templates for a variety of DAWs and SPAT Revolution.

Steinberg NUENDO

Project Sessions and Templates downloads

Template used in the video tutorial

• Steinberg Nuendo Tutorial Template
  Binaural, Atmos 5.1.4, NHK 22.2 with binaural monitoring

Other templates

• Basic music NPR
  Stereo, 5.1, Atmos 5.1.4  output formats with binaural monitoring.

• Advanced multi-format NPR
  Atmos 7.1.2, NHK 22.2 and multiple binaural output formats.

• Ambisonic HOA mixing NPR
  HOA in 3rd order and binaural monitoring output formats.

Resources for more information and troubleshooting

• Nuendo (SPAT Revolution User Guide)
• SPAT Revolution  Send and Return DAW Troubleshooting (SPAT Revolution User Guide)
• How to set up SPAT Revolution with NUENDO (YouTube Tutorial)
• SPAT Revolution Integration with Nuendo 10 (Steinberg Yamaha Network Channel on YouTube)

AVID Pro Tools

Project Sessions and Templates downloads

Template used in the video tutorial

• AVID Pro Tools Tutorial Template
  Binaural 5.1 and 7.1.2 output formats

Other templates

• Basic music PTX
  Stereo, 5.1, Atmos 5.1.4  output formats with binaural monitoring

• Advanced multi-format PTX
  Atmos 7.1.2, NHK 22.2 and multiple binaural output formats

• Ambisonic HOA mixing PTX
  HOA 3rd order and  binaural monitoring output formats

Note: For Avid HDx users, please make sure to use the specific Pro Tools HDX template session. This ensures that the Native SPAT Revolution plugin gets instantiated under Pro Tools HDX systems using local audio path (the audio pipe or bridge) function of SPAT Revolution production suite.

Resources for more information and troubleshooting

• AVID Pro Tools (SPAT Revolution User Guide)
• SPAT Revolution Send and Return DAW Troubleshooting (SPAT Revolution User Guide)
• How to set up SPAT Revolution with Pro Tools (YouTube Tutorial)

Merging Technologies Pyramix

Project Sessions and Templates downloads

Template used in the video tutorial

• Merging Tutorial Template
  Binaural, 5.1 and NHK 22.2 output formats.

Other Templates

• Basic music PMX
  Stereo, 5.1, Atmos 5.1.4  output formats with binaural monitoring.
  
  
• Advanced multi-format PMX
  Atmos 7.1.2, NHK 22.2 and multiple binaural output formats.
• Ambisonic HOA mixing PMX
  HOA in 3rd order and binaural monitoring output formats.

Resources for more information and troubleshooting

• SPAT Revolution Send and Return DAW Troubleshooting (SPAT Revolution User Guide)
• How to set up Spat Revolution with Pyramix (YouTube Tutorial)

 Cockos Reaper

Project Sessions and Templates downloads

Template used in the video tutorial

• Reaper Tutorial Template
  Binaural, 5.1 and NHK 22.2 output formats.

Other Templates

• Basic music REA
  Stereo, 5.1, Atmos 5.1.4  output formats with Binaural monitoring.
• Advanced multi-format REA
  Atmos 7.1.2, NHK 22.2 and multiple binaural output formats.
  
• Ambisonic HOA mixing REA
  HOA 3rd order and  binaural monitoring output formats.

Resources for more information and troubleshooting

• Cockos Reaper (SPAT Revolution User Guide)
• SPAT Revolution Send and Return DAW Troubleshooting (SPAT Revolution User Guide)
• How to set up Spat Revolution with Reaper (YouTube Tutorial)

Additional Resources

Our product specialists are continuously working on different setups and templates, and in the future we will add templates for Steinberg Nuendo, Ableton Live and many others.

• Daw Integration Templates (FLUX:: Knowledge Base)
• Bitwig Studio (SPAT Revolution User Guide)

Tokyo, Japan – April 2020…

Shinjuku has a long history as one of Tokyo’s most vibrant areas, and Waseda is arguably the district’s cultural and creative nexus. The area is home to the renowned Waseda University, as well as numerous museums, theaters, night clubs, and performance spaces.

Waseda’s newest venue, the Artware hub, opened its doors in late 2019. Commissioned by the Kakehashi (Arts and Cultural Foundation), the space is the realization of a lifelong dream of Roland Corporation founder and visionary Ikutaro Kakehashi.

What appears at first glance to be a fairly typical live performance venue is, in fact, much more. Designed as an experimental acoustic space, the facility incorporates an unparalleled 36.8 multi-channel immersive audio system based around FLUX::Immersive’s SPAT Revolution software engine.

The concept for the space was brought to life by Ikuo Kakehashi, the Kakehashi Foundation’s Director, and son of the famed inventor, working with producer/engineer Keiichi Itoh. As Ikuo explains, his father was always cognizant of the relationship between music and technology, and the impact of an environment on creative collaboration. “My father used to say that no matter how good the instrument maker made the instrument, it would be meaningless without a proper place to experience it,” Ikuo observes.

The venue takes its name from the term “Artware,” coined by Ikutaro Kakehashi. The term refers to not just hardware and software, but also to the human experience of an artistic performance. “We wanted to create a space that was more than merely a concert hall, that was a place where content of all kinds could be realized, and an environment where multiple people could gather and share in that performance,” Ikuo explains.

The immersive listening experience was an important part of the performance environment for Ikutaro Kakehashi. As early as 1991, he had developed a 3D audio processor dubbed RSS – Roland Sound Space – one of a number of early attempts to create an immersive experience using regular stereo speaker configuration. “In designing the space, one of the most important areas of content creation for us was immersive audio,” Ikuo confirms.

At the heart of the immersive audio system is FLUX:: Immersive’s SPAT Revolution, providing acoustic simulation that allows the user to freely arrange input sources in a virtual space where loudspeakers may be freely placed to create virtually any configuration of sonic landscape.

The system is configured using a single purpose-built computer. An RME HDSPe-MADI FX interface provides up to 64 channels of MADI I/O at 96kHz across the 36-channel system. An Avid S6L console offers tight integration with SPAT Revolution for controlling input sources. Since the actual FOH mix position is program dependent, the S6L is purposely housed in a road case to enable it to be moved to the appropriate sweet spot.

Audio sources from the stage, as well as pro tools outputs, are connected to the S6L via AVB, and signal is routed to SPAT via MADI. An Avid MTRIX is at the core of the Artware hub system, providing routing matrix and system monitoring and control. Outputs are converted from MADI to Dante for system distribution.

The multi-channel speaker arrangement is comprised of 24 in-wall speakers at two elevations, 2.5 meters and 5 meters, each with 12 speakers arranged in 360 degrees at 30 degrees apart. Nine more speakers – eight in a circle and one at zenith – are attached to a central grid mounted to the ceiling. Three more speakers occupy temporary locations on the front floor for special effects. Eight subwoofers in four cardioid pairs complete the loudspeaker configuration.

Since its opening in the fall of 2019, the Artware hub has hosted a wide range of performances and garnered high praise from visitors and performers alike. Thanks to the efforts of Ikuo Kakehashi and Keichi Ito, and innovative technologies like SPAT Revolution, Ikutaro Kakehashi’s vision can finally be realized.

Systems Solutions Provider: ROCK ON PRO

Spat Revolution is a software engine running on standard computer hardware, dedicated to offline show content creation workflows and real time live applications.

Computer Hardware

Running on generic hardware means that a vast pool of audio interfaces (e.g., MADI, network AVB, or Dante / AES67 virtual audio entities), and a wide range of sample rate options (from 44.1Khz – 384Khz), are available for the system device setup. Low latency can be achieved with low block size software options (starting at 16 block size), the appropriate choice of audio interface, and most importantly, a computer sufficiently resourced and optimized for real time audio. The actual Spat setup (number of sources, rooms and such) has no impact on latency, which is predictable, fixed, and can be easily defined in accordance with the user’s  hardware setup.

Simultaneous output systems (virtual spaces called rooms) with more than 32 channels of networked 48Khz audio, or hardware dedicated as a real-time  audio engine , typically requires specific validation.

In most application scenarios,  a dedicated computer is preferred. While memory (RAM) resources are not critical, multiple core CPU processing power is critical, as parallel processing is used to treat the actual source in the software. Because the software offers 3D control areas, an efficient graphics with at least 4-8 Gb of memory is also required. Appropriate e optimization of the computer will then achieve optimal system performance.

Live production, Immersive technical services, and consultancy

To support live production deployments, technical services are available from  FLUX:: Immersive Consulting Group, ranging from fully configured hardware/software system packages based on specific project requirements, to pre-design, guidelines, deployments, system tuning, commissioning, and training. 

To support Live production, new software options will be available in 2020 offering live application-specific feature sets:

• Show/  Config modes
• Snapshot system with interpolation, 
• Remote and Server “renderer” mode (where computer(s) are dedicated to processing without  GUI user interface and remote computer handle control) 
• New spatialization option of Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) that can be applied to a Frontal system for example (7-8 frontal arrays or more).

Content Creation

With content creation workflow a critical part of the live production process, Spat Revolution’s  ability to run on generic hardware offers the sound designer an opportunity to start an offline conception on a local computer (without the need for specific hardware). Spat Revolution seamlessly integrates with a variety of DAWs and Playback systems, allowing for local inter-application audio transport and automation. Compatible third party systems include Ableton Live, Nuendo, Pro Tools, Reaper, QLab, and many others. Spat Revolution’s production suite includes three plugins (AU, AAX and VST):Spat Send, Spat Return and Spat Room. The user can  build automation network cues, write automation of an immersive mix to a timeline or to cues, preview the results (binaurally or on smaller scale speaker arrangement), and build a show that is ready to move to dedicated live playback systems and Spat Revolution Live Computer engine. 

From creation to delivery!

The creation phase can be managed on a single computer, and easily  migrated to a network of show controllers, audio playback, mixing desks and Immersive audio engines.

Real Time Software Engine

Working in a live, real-time engine mode requires the ability for control via a variety of third party systems over the network. This integration is accomplished via the Spat OSC  (Open Sound Control) dictionary, or via the presence of Spat plugins on the network from the DAW or Playback system. Live console integrates the ability to provide encoder control for each source in Spat Revolution, and take advantage of mixing desk snapshot capability to create automation with timing interpolation parameters. This integration is currently offered with Avid S6L Live Sound console via Spat Send plugin or using generic OSC commands with mixing console offering OSC control, such as the Digico SD series. The power of OSC means that any third party system with this capability can potentially be part of the immersive audio control. Also on the subject of real time, Spat Revolution offers support for  real time tracking systems such as BlackTrax (RTTrPM procoll support), Zactrack and Stagetracker, which can be integrated in this real time immersive audio package.

Redundancy

Redundancy and the need for a complete fail over being critical in live production, the Spat Revolution immersive system can operate in redundant mode, with the secondary system simultaneously outputting discrete audio channels as back-up output, routed to a loudspeaker management system or back to the audio mixing system. For this, two Spat Revolution systems (Spat license includes two activations) can be deployed and simultaneously receive audio feed and automation. While the Spat Send plugin allows for dual OSC output, each targeting the systems in parallel, other controllers (Lemur Ipad controllers, OSC Network cues, etc.) can target both systems as well . Audio is output from both the primary and secondary systems, providing redundant sources to the diffusion loudspeaker system.

To this extent, Spat Revolution can be deployed strictly as a remote control (no audio processing), targeting commands to two Spat computer engines dedicated to audio processing via OSC commands.

Immersive Audio Spatialization Techniques 

Spat Revolution addresses panning over multi-channel immersive audio systems without the requirement of a closed framework, adapting easily to speaker design arrangements for various productions with spatial audio techniques and panning methods to suit different applications (Binaural, High order ambisonic HOA or 2D/3D Channels based with WFS, VPAB, DBAP, KNN, SPCAP and more panning methods). Multiple virtual spaces in the software engine called “Rooms” allow you to deliver to multiple diffusion systems (virtual spaces using all or partial speaker arrangement setups) and offer extensive flexibility in creating custom 2D or 3D speaker arrangements. This allows addressing unconventional stage setups where 5, 7 or more speaker hangs are spread across the stage with somewhat equal separation between each, or having an arrangement of multiple loudspeakers  in arbitrary locations. It is important to note that these virtual spaces each include acoustic simulations (reverb engines) to generate early reflections localized with each source, along with a reverb tail end that is diffused at the outputs, thus creating a sense of depth and reality!

On the subject of multiple virtual rooms in Spat revolution, it is important to mention that in the creation phase or studio style scenario, delivering simultaneous output streams is created by recording multiple stream formats of the same immersive mix in the DAW.. For  example, a sound designer can create a binaural output preview on headphones while on a plane, and a surround speaker arrangement for studio work, while simultaneously creating content for multi-speaker arrangements of the actual show itself which may have speakers by the dozen!

Spat Revolution also offers advanced virtual source parameters from the  simple (basic radiation control of azimuth, effective 360 degree pan, and basic source distance) to very complex situations where multiple  perceptual factors are being controlled

The FLUX:: and IRCAM cooperation offers  a variety of spatial audio techniques to users and designers, sharing a vision of open development. Behind these various spatialization and audio panning techniques is the desire to offer creativity, flexibility and the ability to adapt to each application and  creative challenge, whether sweet spot-centric , live performance, or and installation-based, and regardless of where the audience may be distributed.

Other resources :
An Introduction to Spat
https://www.flux.audio/2018/10/16/spat-revolution-source-parameters-from-standard-to-advanced/

Spat Revolution Real Time Live Engine
https://www.flux.audio/2018/11/13/spat-revolution-real-time-live-engine/

Custom Speaker Configuration
https://www.flux.audio/2018/11/13/custom-speaker-configuration/