Chapter: Binaural Technology
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Software for dynamic real time rendering
Open source / free
- Spatial Audio Real-time Applications (SPARTA): Plug-Ins for binaural rendering, Ambisonics rendering to loudspeakers and headphones, and parametric audio reproduction (cross platform, support for custom SOFA files).
- IEM Plug-in suite: Plug-ins for rendering Ambisonics signals to loudspeakers and headphones audio effects for Ambisonics (cross platform, support for custom SOFA files).
- Sound Scape Renderer (SSR): Stand-alone software for sound-field synthesis and rendering binaural impulse responses (Unix based operating systems)
- ambiX: Ambisonics plug-in suite (cross platform).
- 3D Tune-In Toolkit: VST/Unity Plugin and standalone application for rendering binaural impulse responses, binaural reverberation, and simulating hearing loss and hearing aids (cross-platform, support for custom SOFA files, ).
- Anaglyph: VST and Unity Plug-in for HRIR based spatialization including near-field rendering and ITD cosutomization (cross platform).
- Ear production suite: Plug-ins for object oriented audio production based on the Audio Definition Model with a soon to be released binaural rendering plug-in (cross platform)
- Steam Audio Unity Plug-in Plugin: 3D-Audio framework for real-time room simulation and binaural rendering in game engines (cross platform, including C-API).
- Oculus Spatializer: 3D-Audio framework for real-time room simulation and binaural rendering in game engines and audio workstations (cross platform).
- Google Resonance Audio: 3D-Audio framework for real-time room simulation and binaural rendering in game engines, audio workstations, web application, and on mobile devices (cross platform).
- Virtual Acoustics: Auralization framework for research purposes (Windows, can be used on other platforms).
- Virtual Acoustic Spaces Unity Spatializer: Unity plug in for the auralization of binaural impulse responses and ray tracing (cross platform).
Proprietary
- Dear Reality: Audio workstation and unity plug-ins for 3D audio production.
- Waves: Plug-ins for 3D audio production.
- L-ISA Studio: Plug-ins for 3D audio reproduction
- Magic Leap Soundfield Audio: Binaural rendering and acoustic simulation for VR/AR, gaming, and 3D video (cross platform).
- IRCAM Spat: Spatialization for musical creation, post-production, and live performances in Max/MSP including binaural rendering, reverberation, Ambisonics panning and sound field synthesis.
Note that many digital audio workstations already include basic plug-ins for binaural rendering and that a variety of spatial audio modules are available for PureData and Max/MSP. A more extensive list or real time applications can be found at https://en.everybodywiki.com/List_of_Ambisonic_software.
VR/AR audio content
- Symphonic orchestra: Anechoic recordings of a symphonic orchestra.
- Italian opera: Anechoic Italian opera recordings.
- Small ensemble: Anechoic audio and 3D video recordings of small ensemble performances.
- Guitar and vocals: Anechoic recordings of guitar and vocal performances.
- Castanets: Anechoic castanet rhythm produced with samples from the Vienna Symphonic Library.
- Drama: Three object-based audio drama scenes. The source movements and metadata required to render the scenes are stored using the Audio Definition Model.
- Dramatic speech: Anechoic recording of Cicero’s 3rd Cataline oration.
- Ambisonics Recordings of Typical Environments (ARTE): Multi-channel higher-order ambisoncs recordings of 13 realistic environments.
Binaural and array impulse responses
- SOFA conventions: Collection of binaural impulse responses including HRIRs, BRIRs, and HpIRs stored in the SOFA file format for which APIs for a variety of languages exists (C, Python, and Matlab/Octave, etc.).
VR/AR headphones and head tracker
- Apple AirPods Max: Head tracked headphones for MAC OS and iOS.
- Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: Head tracked earphones for Android.
- Supperware Head Tracker 1: Head tracker that works with the SPARTA and IEM plug-ins including and open and flexible API
- Waves NX head tracker: Head tracker for Waves audio plug-ins.
- Mr. Head Tracker: Open manual and code for a cross platform head tracker.
- Headrot: Open manual and code for a cross platform head tracker.
- Virtual Acoustic Spaces head tracker (VAStracker): Open manual and code for a cross platform head tracker.
Binaural microphones
- Sennheiser AMBEO Smart Headset: Microphones for individual recordings. es not capture all spatial cues from the outer ear because they partly obstruct the conchae. Similar products are available from other manufacturers.
- 3DIO Binaural Microphone: Microphones for non-individual binaural recordings. Does not capture all spatial cues due to the missing acoustic shadow of the head.
- miniDSP Binaural Microphone: Microphones for non-individual binaural recordings. Does not capture all spatial cues due to the missing acoustic shadow of the head.
- Binaural Enthusiast: Artificial head for non-individual binaural recordings including all spatial cues.
- Neumann KU 100: Artificial head for non-individual binaural recordings including all spatial cues.
- PIRATE: Open manual for building 3D printed in-ear microphones capturing all spatial cues.
Microphone arrays
- Sennheiser AMBEO VR Microphone: First order ambisoncs microphone with four capsules. Similar products are available from other manufacturers.
- Core Sound Octomic: Second order Ambisonics microphone and VST plug-ins
- Zylia ZM 1: Third order ambisoncs microphone with 19 capsules.
- mh acoustics EigenMike: Fourth order ambisoncs mirophone with 32 capsules
Other Hardware
- Klang: Immersive and real-time in ear mixing for stage performances
Data and formats
- Spatially Oriented Format for Acoustics (SOFA): Container format for saving data such as HRIRs/HRTFs, BRIRs/BRTFs, or musical instrument directivities including versatile Python and Matlab/Octave APIs and basic C-support.
- Audio Definition Model (ADM): Container format for saving static and dynamic meta-data such as room acoustic parameters and source positions.
- MPEG-H: Standard for converting between a variety of 3D audio input and output formats.
Toolboxes and APIs
- Spatial Audio Framework (SAF): C/C++ framework for ambisonics encoding/decoding, spherical array processing, amplitude-panning, HRIR processing.
- 3D Tune-In Toolkit: C++ library for spatialization and simulation of hearing loss and hearing aids.
- atmoky: Web and native SDKs for spatial audio rendering
- Versatile Interactive Scene Renderer (VISR) C/C++ framework with Python binding for spatialization based on VBAP.
- Sound Field Analysis Toolbox (SOFiA): Python/Matlab Toolbox for analyzing spherical microphone array signals.
- Real-time Spherical Array Renderer (ReTiSar): Python package for spatialization of spherical microphone array signals.
- (Binaural) Spatial Decomposition Method (SDM, BSDM): Matlab toolbox for auralization of spatial room impulse responses. &
- Spatial Upsampling by Directional Equalization (SUpDEq): Matlab toolbox for processing sparse HRTF data sets using SUpDEq and other methods.
- pyBinSim: Python package for auralization of binaural impulse responses.
- pyfar: Python packages for acoustic research.
- AKtoools: Matlab Toolbox for acquisition, inspection, and processing of acoustic signals.
- ITA-Toolbox: Matlab Toolbox for acquisition, inspection, and processing of acoustic signals.