Surround mixes for music can bring stunning results, but they can also introduce complexity for mixers. We try one audio plugin aiming to bring three dimensional imaging to stereo mixes in one window. See and hear it for yourself.
In Summary
Wave Arts Panorama 7 is a virtual acoustics processor. Its aim is to model realistic auditory environments for playback over headphones or loudspeakers. Panorama uses 3-D audio and acoustic modelling technology to simulate the acoustics of sound propagation in real spaces.
Features
Head-related impulse response (HRIR) based binaural synthesis
Early room reflection modelling
Late diffuse reverberation
Doppler pitch effect
Distance modelling
Position sequencer for automating trajectories and creating musical panning effects (auto-pan)
Crosstalk cancelling based on real head models for loudspeaker playback
Support for SOFA format HRIRs
Support for user supplied HRIRs
Conventional stereo panning mode
Binaural to loudspeaker conversion
Panorama 7 is being offered at an introductory price of $99, normally $149
Going Deeper
When it comes to output channel counts, music mixing’s long relationship with all things stereo goes back much further than some might think, with the first patents for stereo recording and replay systems appearing right back in the 1930s. With the industry taking full notice of this format by the 1960s, stereo playback for the listener became common in the years that followed.
Surround - Just For Picture?
Most cinema goers are familiar with the concept of ‘surround sound’, however various attempts at introducing multichannel playback for consumers have been slow to take hold. Where the industry offering the promise of an immersive listening experience to the consumer seems strongly analogous to the parent offering vegetables to their kids, two-channel appears to be the predominant consumer container of choice for the time-being (smart speakers permitting…)
Spicing Up Stereo
Engineers have long relied on two flavours of stereo to introduce some panoramic interest to productions, with ‘true’ stereo, captured with microphones, and pan-potted mono often being the tools of choice. Other techniques can involve polarity and/or time-based tricks to introduce width, with some of these being developed to ‘stereoize’ existing mono catalogues for early stereo markets. In the 21st century, the engineer can use any or all of these techniques to get the soundstage of their choice.
Beyond Stereo - Wave Arts Panorama 7
Taking on some of the concepts above, the recently announced Panorama 7 audio plugin from Wave Arts sets out to build upon the idea that channels can be placed within a virtual space that can be enjoyed by those listening on regular headphones or loudspeakers. Primarily, it models three-dimensional spaces for sound placement, combining established binaural and HRTF knowhow with its own technology. The term ‘HTIR’ (Head Related Impulse Response) as referred to in Panorama 7 is interchangeable with the HTRF (Head Related Transfer Function) acronym more familiar to some.
Wave Arts continue:
Panorama is a virtual acoustics processor that can produce stunningly realistic auditory scenes for playback over headphones or loudspeakers. Panorama uses 3-D audio and acoustic environment modeling technology to simulate the acoustics of sound propagation in real spaces.
In the video, we employ Panorama 7 across tracks in a conventional stereo mix for dimensional effects that live outside the conventional stereo plane. We demonstrate it on stereo vocal and percussion subgroups, before injecting width and extra dimensionality into a piano. We then return to the vocals to deploy Panorama 7’s party piece…
Better Than Stereo?
Panorama 7 does an effective job when it comes to placing sounds in a way that is more interesting than conventional methods. For engineers looking to imbue the mix with something a little different, its three-dimensional capabilities make an attractive proposition when going ‘the whole multichannel’ is not an option.
Although at first glance the GUI could appear a little complex to some, once its six blocks’ functions are known the whole thing makes a lot more sense. Going further, its support for SOFA files (the standard format for HTRF/HRIR interchange) via the Sofa2Pan application gives it further potential for those aiming for ultimate realism. For others, just grabbing the green ‘puck’ in the big window will be all that’s needed to get the listener interested.
A Word About This Article
As the Experts team considered how we could better help the community we thought that some of you are time poor and don’t have the time to read a long article or a watch a long video. In 2023 we are going to be trying out articles that have the fast takeaway right at the start and then an opportunity to go deeper if you wish. Let us know if you like this idea in the comments.