Sennheiser y Neumann: innovation in mixing virtual and augmented reality with immersive audio

The proposal of both audio manufacturers provides developers and engineers with an optimal binaural processing and recording workflow, to mix immersive experiences in a virtual reality environment.

Products and solutions for augmented virtual reality experts, as well as binaural audio and 3D recording have been some of the proposals that manufacturers Sennheiser y Neumann, specialized in this market, recently presented during their participation in the contest IBC 2018 in Amsterdam.

One of the innovations has been the new virtual reality software dearVR Spatial Connect, presented by Dear Reality, partner they Sennheiser, that offers developers and engineers the ability to mix immersive experiences directly into a virtual reality environment, no need to switch between mixing and playback environments.

Described as “the mixing console of the future” by Christian Sander, director general de Dear Reality, This software allows the professional to “mix using their hands and organize sound sources intuitively in a 3D space.”. The engineer can not only listen to all sound sources in the software, but also see them, since they are represented as spheres that can be moved and mixed as one wants”.

In this sense, dearVR Spatial Connect, in combination with the dearVR PRO 3D audio processing plug-in, control digital audio workstation. During the mixing process, the professional uses virtual reality glasses, along with the virtual reality controller and associated virtual ray to position audio sources, adjust the level and control the solo/mute and auto modes of sound sources.

dearVR Spatial Connect software encodes binaural audio formats, ambisonic and multichannel, and will be available at the end of 2018.

Kebel Neiman I was amazed 100

A classic for creating and playing spatial audio, KU binaural head 100 de Neuman places the mannequin head in the optimal listening position, which is basically all you need to get a realistic 3D audio recording, and offers surround sound that transports the listener to the original environment.

Neumann 100 offers natural and realistic reproduction, with exceptional horizontal and vertical location, an amazing sense of space and reverberation that completely surrounds the listener, providing immersive sound, so it is increasingly used for the production of virtual and augmented reality content

“With the growing popularity of spatial audio, augmented and mixed virtual reality, the KU head 100 has aroused great interest among this new group of users - explains Wolfgang Fraissinet, president of Neumann.Berlin-. Software plug-ins also contribute to this., like Sennheiser's Ambeo Orbit, “which significantly facilitates the mixing of binaural content”.

This binaural panning plug-in allows the sound engineer to install sources, mono or stereo, extras within the 3D sound field recorded by the KU head 100, but at the same time avoiding the undesirable coloration that can occur as a result of the artificial 'binauralization' of said additional sources.

The KU head 100 diffuse field equalization is optimized for headphone playback, although it also offers very good results with the speakers, by creating a stereo image similar to that of conventional microphones, but with a greater sense of space and depth.

This system is supplied in a robust aluminum case, along with a microphone cable, an adapter cable and an external power supply. Besides, to record in other less common spaces, KU 100 can be powered by batteries, phantom through the mixer or via the included external power supply.

Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset

Another of the proposals from this manufacturer and its partner Apogee has been the development of a solution that allows you to easily record immersive 3D audio with a mobile device.

Binaural recordings created with Ambeo Smart Headset deliver impressive spatial sound, which places the listener within the soundscape and recreates the direction of sounds and the spatial characteristics of a given environment.

For Nicole Fresen, company product manager, “Ambeo Smart Headset is a convenient tool for content creators who use their iPhone or iPad to record videos. The binaural audio recorded with these headphones offers the audience not only a spectacular acoustic image, but also a natural and enveloping sound. Gives videos greater realism, the feeling of being there and greater general appeal”.

The Ambeo Smart Headset has two omnidirectional microphones and integrates a high-precision A/D converter, a mic preamp and an Apogee SoftLimit limiter. As with a 'mannequin head', the two microphones capture subtle time differences, volume and timbre produced when sounds coming from different directions reach each ear.

In addition to this binaural recording function, An additional microphone allows users to make or answer phone calls or use Siri on their iOS device, to which is added the cancellation of ambient sound.