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Ambeo VR monitoring


Jeremiah Sheets

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I have a job coming up that would like Ambisonic recordings of various environments so I'm picking up the new Sennheiser Ambeo VR. It isn't really a big source of income for me so I feel the Ambeo is in the right price range, plus I've always been intrigued with the the technology, so I decided to just buy the thing instead of renting.

Question regarding monitoring in real time: So... What's up with that thing I just said? :P

Really though, is there a way prior to converting to B-format in the computer to listen in real time to just a stereo representation of what I'm capturing? Perhaps sending a couple capsules to L and the other pair to R? Or is it just a matter of selecting a capsule one at a time for a mono check?

I'll be using my Maxx for recording.

 

Thanks.

 

 

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Unfortunately, with the mentioned tools, there is no proper way to *accurately* monitor what the sound field being captured sounds like. Both A- and B-format need to be processed one way or another for you to be able to listen to the recorded sound field. Basically, with a microphone like the SoundField SPS200, the Sennheiser AMBEO or the Core Sound Tetramic, your recorder needs to be able to decode both A-format and B-format for you to do this, and only a few recorders can decode B-format (SD 788T, SD 744T, Aeta 4Minx, Nagra VI), and even fewer can do A-format (only Aeta 4Minx and Nagra VI that I'm aware of). I would be even cautious about trusting a recorder with encoding A-format into B-format, as the recorder's A-format to B-format converter would need to be calibrated to account for the distance between the capsules and as well as the frequency response of each capsule for the specific mic you are using, otherwise the spatial resolution in the B-format file suffers.

The SoundField ST450 mkii comes with its own A-format to B-format converter box that's specifically calibrated to the particular mic it comes with, and the box also has a headphone jack that will let you monitor in stereo. You would record the B-format output from the box. This is IMO the best (and the most expensive) first order ambisonic setup you can get, especially if you want to monitor live the sound field as it will be reproduced in the final product.

That being said, if your goal is merely to gauge levels, proximity, etc, then you can either PFL each of the inputs, or sum some or all of the channels into a headphone mix, though the latter runs the risk of phasing.

Hope that helps.

 

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