O3A Core
The O3A Core plugin library is a set of essential tools that provides all the basics to produce a higher order ambisonic (HOA) 3D mix. And it's free!
The plugins included are:
- O3A Panners (Standard, Classic, Hemisphere, Large, Two Channel and Eight Channel)
- O3A Decoders (Mono, Stereo and 5.1 Basic)
- O3A Converters to/from FuMa or classic ambisonics, and between orders
- O3A Beamer
- O3A Virtual Microphone
- O3A Gain
- O3A Look and O3A Rotation
- O3A Spatial Delay
- O3A Metering (Standard and Signal)
- O3A Visualisers (Standard, Hemisphere, Colourizer and Flare)
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.
We use some free software, data and artwork in these products. Before downloading, please check the technical requirements and license agreement. By beginning the download process you agree to be bound by our terms and conditions.
Making 3D Audio
These plugins use 16 audio channels to capture a 3D audio scene. Technically, this is SN3D-encoded third order ambisonics using ACN channel ordering (sometimes known as AmbiX). We refer to it here as O3A B-Format, or just O3A for short.
You can make this O3A material using a number of techniques including upmixing, but the simplest way is often to use one of the panning plugins from this library.
There are six different panners in this library, so you can choose the one that is most natural for you. They all have elevation controls. With O3A, you can put sounds in any direction: left, right, front, back, and also up and down.
Mixing and Mastering 3D Audio
These 3D audio streams can be mixed together and modified in 3D. You can do most of the things that you can do with a stereo stream, and quite a lot more too! For instance, the O3A Core includes plugins that allow the whole 3D scene to be rotated, perhaps because the listener has turned to the side.
We also make plugins that manipulate the scene in various ways (spatial EQ, movements and so on) or add 3D reverb.
Seeing What's Going On
The O3A Core includes O3A Visualiser and O3A Flare plugins, which provide a real-time view of sound directions in the O3A mix.
... And Hearing
One of the clever things about O3A (and ambisonics in general) is that the O3A mix isn't tied to a particular speaker layout, so you can "decode" it for different speaker layouts, or binaural stereo.
The O3A Core comes with a few simple decoders to get you started, including simple 5.1 and stereo. Blue Ripple Sound also offers a dedicated decoding product with more preset options, including binaural 3D sound on headphones. Rapture3D "Advanced" lets you set up custom layouts with many speakers and use personalised HRTFs on headphones.
Panners
O3A Panner
I/O: 1 in, 16 out
This O3A panner places a sound in a particular direction in a 3D O3A mix.
O3A Panner - Classic
I/O: 1 in, 16 out
This O3A panner places a sound in a particular direction in a 3D O3A mix. It has a simplified display.
O3A Panner - Hemisphere
I/O: 1 in, 16 out
This O3A panner places a sound in a particular direction in a 3D O3A mix. It has an alternative 'hemisphere' display.
O3A Panner - Large
I/O: 1 in, 16 out
This O3A panner places a sound in a particular direction in a 3D O3A mix.
O3A Panner - Two Channel
I/O: 2 in, 16 out
This O3A panner places two sounds in particular directions in a 3D O3A mix.
O3A Panner - Eight Channel
I/O: 8 in, 16 out
This O3A panner places eight sounds in particular directions in a 3D O3A mix.
Visualisers
O3A Visualiser
I/O: 16 in, 16 out
This plugin shows a real-time view of an O3A mix, so you can see what you're doing.
O3A Visualiser - Hemisphere
I/O: 16 in, 16 out
This plugin shows a real-time view of an O3A mix, so you can see what you're doing.
O3A Colourizer
I/O: 16 in, 16 out
This plugin shows a real-time view of an O3A mix, so you can see what you're doing. Colours depend on frequency content.
O3A Flare
I/O: 16 in, 16 out
This plugin shows a real-time view of an O3A mix using an active analysis. It can be used with the View/ViewVR applications.
Rotation
O3A Look
I/O: 16 in, 16 out
This plugin rotates the 3D O3A sound scene as if the listener's head had turned to look in a particular direction.
Decoders and Converters
O3A Decoder - Stereo
I/O: 16 in, 2 out
This plugin renders robust, high quality stereo from 3D O3A mixes.
Please note that this is not a binaural decoder.
O3A Decoder - 5.1 Basic
I/O: 16 in, 6 out
This plugin renders robust, high quality 5.1 surround from 3D O3A mixes.
O3A Decoder - FuMa
I/O: 16 in, 16 out
This plugin converts O3A ambisonic audio to FuMa ambisonic audio. FuMa is compatible with "classic" B-Format.
O3A Injector - FuMa
I/O: 16 in, 16 out
This plugin converts FuMa ambisonic audio to O3A ambisonic audio. FuMa is compatible with "classic" B-Format.
O3A Decoder - O1A
I/O: 16 in, 4 out
This plugin extracts first order O1A ambisonics from a third order O3A stream.
O3A Decoder - O2A
I/O: 16 in, 9 out
This plugin extracts second order O2A ambisonics from a third order O3A stream.
O3A Injector - O1A
I/O: 4 in, 16 out
This plugin injects first order O1A ambisonics into a third order O3A stream.
O3A Injector - O2A
I/O: 9 in, 16 out
This plugin injects second order O2A ambisonics into a third order O3A stream.
Virtual Microphones
O3A Virtual Microphone
I/O: 16 in, 2 out
This plugin simulates a conventional stereo microphone placed within a 3D O3A sound scene.
Metering
Soundfield Modification
O3A Spatial Delay
I/O: 16 in, 16 out
This plugin applies a delay effect to an entire O3A scene. The delay includes a feedback loop with scene reflection, rotation and filtering.
Technical Requirements
Please check everything is okay here before downloading 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.
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.