O3A Manipulators

The O3A Manipulator plugins allow changes to be made to the content of third order ambisonic (O3A) streams.

A variety of manipulations are included, from simple changes to the level of sound in particular directions, through to directional compression, manipulations to move sounds around in space and equalization that can be "painted" on to the audio scene. The library also includes some specialised panner plugins, tools to split up the scene into sections for separate processing, and some other features.

These are VST2 or AAX 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, Pro Tools (Ultimate or Studio), 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. Not all plugins are supported in AAX.

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These manipulators can be used to make changes to a 3D mix. The mix needs to be a O3A 3D mix, which you might have put together by panning (for instance using the O3A Core plugins), or by upmixing from surround formats like 5.1 using the O3A Upmixer plugins.

Manipulator Workflow

After the mix has been altered, you can make further changes, or convert it to a surround mix (for instance back to 5.1) using decoders in the O3A Core, O3A Decoding plugin libraries, or Rapture3D Advanced's AAX or VST2 plugins.

Moving Sounds Around

The O3A Move plugin lets you pull sounds towards a particular point, or push them away. You can collapse the entire mix to a single direction and then smoothly expand it out all around you.

O3A Move

You can also use this plugin to move sounds relative to the horizontal plane, to tune the amount of height in the mix. (You have to think about things like that when working in 3D!)

Zooming the Scene

The O3A Zoom plugin lets you move the whole 3D scene around in space, for instance to bring a thunderstorm in from the far distance, or walk forwards in a concert hall.

O3A Zoom

Directional Level Changes

The O3A Directional Mask lets you increase or decrease the sound level in a particular direction. You can use this to boost a particular instrument in the mix, or reduce an audience cough.

O3A Directional Mask

The O3A Spatial Mask is even more sophisticated, letting you "paint" the level modifications that you want on to the O3A mix.

Compressor

The O3A Compressor reduces the dynamic range of a mix. It has a unique "Directivity" control which allows the compression to be applied uniformly across the mix, or independently in different directions.

O3A Compressor

Equalizers

There are three equalizers included. Two are fairly conventional (a classic parametric EQ and a 31-band 1/3 octave EQ) except that they are applied to the entire O3A mix. The third works like the O3A Spatial Mask, so you can paint the directions in which the EQ is applied, for instance to pick out a particular singer.

O3A Spatial Equalizer

More...

There's more! Check the plugin list for more detail.

Soundfield Modification

O3A Compressor

O3A Compressor

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin reduces the dynamic range of a O3A mix. Its directivity control allows different directions to be compressed together or separately.

O3A Diffuser

O3A Diffuser

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin smudges 3D O3A mixes in time and space to increase their diffuseness.

It can also be used to place a mono sound into a O3A mix without a definite direction.

O3A Low/High Pass Filter

O3A Low/High Pass Filter

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin applies a low or high pass Butterworth filter to an entire O3A scene.

O3A Move

O3A Move

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin warps a 3D O3A mix to move sounds around.

O3A Zoom

O3A Zoom

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin allows an entire O3A scene to be moved around, for instance to give the impression of entering a space.

O3A Zoom XYZ

O3A Zoom XYZ

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin allows an entire O3A scene to be moved around. This plugin is essentially the same as O3A Zoom, except it exposes X, Y and Z automation parameters rather than Azimuth, Elevation and Distance.

O3A Directional Emphasis

O3A Directional Emphasis

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin emphasises sounds in a particular direction in a 3D O3A mix using an algorithm also used in Rapture3D.

O3A Directional Mask

O3A Directional Mask

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin emphasises or de-emphasises sounds in a particular direction in a 3D O3A mix using simple controls.

O3A Order Amplifier

O3A Order Amplifier

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin allows gains to be applied to each ambisonic order in a 3D mix.

O3A Portal

O3A Portal

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin shifts a region in an O3A audio scene to somewhere else.

O3A Reflection

O3A Reflection

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin moves all sounds in a 3D O3A soundfield from one side to another.

O3A Screen Resizer

O3A Screen Resizer

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin warps a O3A scene which matches a screen image to compensate for a change in screen size.

O3A Spatial Mask

O3A Spatial Mask

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin allows level changes to be painted onto the audio scene.

O3A Spotlight

O3A Spotlight

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin keeps sounds in the "beam" of the spotlight and makes others disappear.

O3A Parametric Equalizer

O3A Parametric Equalizer

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin applies a simple parametric equalizer to an entire 3D O3A mix.

O3A Graphic Equalizer

O3A Graphic Equalizer

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin applies a 31-band 1/3-octave graphic equalizer to an entire 3D O3A mix.

O3A Spatial Equalizer

O3A Spatial Equalizer

I/O: 16 in, 16 out

This plugin paints a 31-band 1/3-octave graphic equalizer onto a 3D O3A mix.

Panners

O3A Panner LS

O3A Panner LS

I/O: 1 in, 16 out

This 3D panner simulates large sources and distance.

O3A Panner LS XYZ

O3A Panner LS XYZ

I/O: 1 in, 16 out

This 3D panner simulates large sources and distance. This plugin is essentially the same as the O3A Panner LS, except it exposes X, Y and Z automation parameters rather than Azimuth, Elevation and Distance.

O3A Panner LS8

O3A Panner LS8

I/O: 8 in, 16 out

This panner places eight sounds in a 3D space.

O3A Line

O3A Line

I/O: 1 in, 16 out

This plugin converts mono to third order ambisonics (O3A), spreading sound out in a line.

"A-Format" Support

O3A B->A20 Converter

O3A B->A20 Converter

I/O: 16 in, 20 out

AAX: not supported

This plugin converts from 16 channel O3A B-Format to a 20 channel "A-Format".

O3A A20->B Converter

O3A A20->B Converter

I/O: 20 in, 16 out

AAX: not supported

This plugin converts from 20 channel "A-Format" to 16 channel O3A B-Format.

Split and Join

O3A Spatial Mask Split

O3A Spatial Mask Split

I/O: 16 in, 32 out

AAX: not supported

This plugin allows an audio scene to be separated into two, by painting.

O3A Spotlight Split

O3A Spotlight Split

I/O: 16 in, 32 out

AAX: not supported

This plugin splits directions into two separate 3D O3A mixes that can be reassembled with O3A Join.

O3A Swap

O3A Swap

I/O: 32 in, 32 out

AAX: not supported

This plugin swaps O3A streams that have been 'split' by other plugins.

O3A Join

O3A Join

I/O: 32 in, 16 out

AAX: not supported

This plugin reassembles "Split" audio (e.g. from O3A Spatial Mask Split or O3A Spotlight Split) into a single 3D O3A 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.

AAX Host

The AAX plugins require Pro Tools Ultimate or Studio.

Due to channel and stem restrictions, not all plugins are supported in AAX. Please see the plugin descriptions for details.

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.