I've always wanted to hear an ambisonic playback setup, can I come over?
I've come across various b-format material on the web from various ambisonic sites, some of it soundfield sourced, some home brewed Nimbus-rig type recordings and some synthesized. The synthesized stuff also included some higher order encodes. Never downloaded any of it since I couldn't do anything with it, but I may be able to find some links if you like.
You would be welcome to listen of course. Still there are a few pieces to put in place.
Here's what's going to be in this setup. Four powered/bi-amped Yamaha HS50M's. An HS10W subwoofer. Some piece of software for decoding. An RME multiface to provide a line level output to the speakers. There won't be height information with four speakers, but it should give me a flat listening plane.
I have been studying ambisonics for less than two years, so kind of new at it.
There have been some new developments on the [sursound] list that will interest the forum. They plan to use VLC (
www.videolan.org's media player) to decode b-format to surround sound for anyone with a 5.1 home entertainment system. Fons Adriaenson, the guy who wrote AmbDec is going to provide the decoding piece for this. Details are sketchy. Nothing is set in stone yet, but the basic idea is there.
One of the setbacks to ambisonics, of course is very few people have listening setups. This is an attempt to deliver b-format files to people's homes. It's a compromise, of course, but it's what's needed to jump start the technology. Content should drive the technology, but the hardware is too complicated and expensive and so no one wants files in this format. So it's Catch-22.