The main idea behind immersive audio formats is the transition from channel-based to object-based audio. What this means is that in immersive audio, each sound is treated as an individual ‘object’ that can be places and moved anywhere within a three-dimensional sound field as apposed to the specific set of channels previously seen in standard stereo based mixing. [1]
A typical immersive audio file such as the Audio Definition Model (ADM) can support up to 128 audio channels along side 118 defined objects. One great thing about this system is that it is the metadata accompanying each object that informs the playback system where the sound should be placed in the sound field. Because of this, immersive audio is able to act as a universal master where regardless of the end user’s specific speaker setup, the metadata can inform your system where to place each object in a way that best represents the intended effect.
Despite the possibilities of immersive audio being incredibly exciting from a creative standpoint, it is also quite technically demanding – presenting artists with a fairly high barrier to entry. Because of this, immersive audio has been almost entirely exclusive to the post production workflow for most artists who can afford taking their tracks to an Atmos-certified studio at the mixing stage. However, with Logic 10.7’s integration of Atmos tools at no additional cost – this could be changing. This is an exciting concept for many reasons but the most obvious is the idea that immersive audio could be utilised during the compositional and recording stages of a project – allowing for much more informed decisions made by the artist themselves rather than a separate mix engineer down the line. [2]
[1] audioXpress. (2023). Immersive Audio Explored – Really, What Is Immersive Audio? [online] Available at: https://audioxpress.com/article/immersive-audio-explored-really-what-is-immersive-audio#:~:text=In%20traditional%20audio%20formats%20such.
[2] Inglis, S. (2022). An Introduction To Immersive Audio. [online] www.soundonsound.com. Available at: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/introduction-immersive-audio.
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