Ambisonics Spatialization Tools for Max/MSP

Proceedings of the 2006 International Computer Music Conference, New Orleans

Ambisonics is an effective way of describing and projecting spatial sound. Based on the theoretical works of the late Michael Gerzon, it is more and more frequently being used not only to reproduce recordings made with a soundfield microphone and encoded in the corresponding B-format but also to place virtual sources in a periphonic space and decode them to an arbitrary number and configuration of speakers. The tools developed at the ICST implement Ambisonics in the form of Max/MSP externals and allow the encoding and decoding in three dimensions of up to third-order Ambisonics. In addition they include a graphical control module for real-time manipulation of source placement and modules for algorithmic control of source motion in three-dimensional space.