[Vorbis-dev] Ambisonic Systems

[Richard Lee]

> I assume, somewhere, someone has a compendium of recommended hardware for ambisonics?  Something to sanity check/inform equipment selections of someone building My First Ambisonics Rig?

Not at all Monty.  This is an important question and I am ashamed to say I can't point you to a good answer.

In the meantime, have a look at

Permananent Ambisonic Systems	from

www.ambisonia.com\Members\ricardo

Using identical speakers gives much better results, though matched phase is sufficient.

> (i.e. reversing phase on a driver breaks it completely)

This isn't true and would invalidate about 70% of good small speakers.

My choice would be The Core on the above page.  If you are using Windoz, some old multichannel soundcards are not always in synch without ASIO.  In fact some new soundcards with WDM drivers are still not in synch.  Use ASIO with Windoz.

Decoders are a problem.  There are only 3 decoders which nearly meet the definition of a Classic Ambisonic Decoder and hence perform at least as well as the old hardware decoders.

Bruce Wiggins' WAD	http://sparg.derby.ac.uk/SPARG/Staff_BW.asp
David McGriffy's VVMic	http://mcgriffy.com
Fon's AmbDec		http://www.kokkinizita.net/linuxaudio

WAD is the obvious answer if you are an evil Windoz user as it links nicely into Windoz Media Player.  VST version also.

VVMic is the most flexible.  VST version also.

Fon's stuff is the choice for Linux.  It is the only fully compliant Classic Ambisonic software Decoder with matched phase Shelf filters and distance compensation.

Of the hardware decoders, only the excellent Meridian decoders are still available.  But see

http://www.geocities.com/ambinutter/AMBISONIC_HOME_PAGE.html



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