O3A Spatial Audio
This plugin collection provides experimental decoders to convert O3A 3D audio scenes into audio designed for use with "Spatial Audio" systems like Dolby Atmos or Apple Spatial Audio. A number of Spatial Audio objects in fixed locations are used as virtual speakers. Depending on the plugin, 20, 24, 32 or 64 objects are used and are arranged in a dome configuration.
This library should be considered experimental and may be subject to significant change.
This library does not currently support AAX.
These are VST2 plugins for macOS (10.14 to 13.5) or Windows (10 or 11, 64bit Intel). They can be hosted in some Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) that can handle tracks with sufficiently high channel counts. Options include Reaper, Pyramix and Max/MSP. These plugins use the SN3D higher order ambisonic (HOA) convention, at third order, which needs 16 channels. The exact channel counts needed for individual plugins are listed below in the Plugins section.
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Decoding O3A Audio for Spatial Audio Formats
O3A audio is of course a kind of spatial audio, in fact a particularly good one! Here however, when we use the term "Spatial Audio" we are talking about specific systems like Dolby Atmos and Apple Spatial Audio which represent the audio scene using a fixed "channel-based" speaker bed and mono audio "objects" located in 3D space.
These plugins work by converting the O3A scene into a set of audio signals that should be played back using a number of audio objects acting as virtual speakers in the Spatial Audio scene.
These audio signals can then be used to assemble the Spatial Audio using other tools, such as the 3D object panner in Logic. Each object needs to be placed in a particular location, and the list of locations depends on the plugin used.
Object Counts
Four different object configurations are provided, with 20, 24, 32 or 64 channels.
Currently, Spatial Audio systems typically allow up to 128 channels of audio. However, delivery "profiles" will reduce the number of channels actually delivered to devices for final bed and object playback. For instance, the "MPEG-H 3D Audio Baseline" profile supports up to 24 audio objects to the device. If you have more objects in your mix than the delivery profile can handle, it is likely that the excess will be pre-rendered into a speaker bed (typically 7.1.2) or otherwise be merged together.
We don't particularly recommend use of speaker beds rather than objects for Spatial Audio delivery, not least because the rendering angles can be quite inconsistent. For instance, Front Left and Right are typically rendered on headphones at +/-45 degrees rather than the normal +/-30 degrees recommended on speakers.
Spatial Audio Dome Decoders
O3A Decoder - Spatial Audio Dome 20
I/O: 16 in, 20 out
AAX: not supported
This plugin converts O3A audio into 20 channels suitable for playback in a "Spatial Audio" mix.
O3A Decoder - Spatial Audio Dome 24
I/O: 16 in, 24 out
AAX: not supported
This plugin converts O3A audio into 24 channels suitable for playback in a "Spatial Audio" mix.
O3A Decoder - Spatial Audio Dome 32
I/O: 16 in, 32 out
AAX: not supported
This plugin converts O3A audio into 32 channels suitable for playback in a "Spatial Audio" mix.
O3A Decoder - Spatial Audio Dome 64
I/O: 16 in, 64 out
AAX: not supported
This plugin converts O3A audio into 64 channels suitable for playback in a "Spatial Audio" mix.
Technical Requirements
Please check everything is okay here before purchasing software.Operating System
Supported versions of Microsoft Windows are 10 or 11, 64bit Intel.
Supported versions of Apple macOS are 10.14 to 13.5, 64bit Intel or Apple Silicon.
VST Host
The VST plugins require a VST 2 host with shell plugin support.
These plugins do not work with all VST 2 hosts. One reason for this is that the O3A plugins need large numbers of channels on their input or output busses. Check the individual plugins for the channel counts they need, but all of the O3A plugins need at least 16 channels on each track, and some need more. Also, at the time of writing VST 2 shell plugins are not supported in Nuendo or Cubase.
These plugins are not supported in AAX.
PC Hardware
Please check your PC meets the following requirements:
- Intel Core i5 CPU or better, or Apple Silicon.
- 200MB of free disk space.
Permissions
You'll need administrator permissions while installing on Windows. The software probably won't install properly using a "restricted" account.
Internet Connection Required
This software requires an Internet Connection for license activation and verification.
Successful license verification isn't required every time you use the software, but it is needed during installation and needs to succeed once every couple of weeks to keep the license fresh.
The license can be "revoked" to remove it from one machine so it can be moved on to another. You should also do this if you're updating your system in case the machine appears to have changed identity.
No Bitstream Encoding
Please note that these plugins produce audio suitable for use with Spatial Audio systems, but do not perform bitstream or metadata encoding directly.