A professional audio plugin suite for creating, mixing, and monitoring immersive audio formats, including binaural headphone virtualization and support for object-based workflows across multiple DAWs.
Purpose and Core Engine
The Spatial Audio Designer – Producer is a plugin suite designed for immersive audio production. It includes three plugins: Send, Mix, and Channel Out, which together form a complete mixing and binaural engine. The system uses a virtual bus architecture that lets you mix and monitor any immersive format directly within your digital audio workstation or compatible video workstation.
Supported formats include common surround configurations, Dolby Atmos variants, AURO-3D, MPEG-H, IMAX 3D, and more. The interface allows you to switch between formats with a click. You can also create custom configurations for unique installations like planetariums. The engine supports object-based processing with unlimited inputs and a high number of discrete outputs, making it suitable for complex productions.
Key Capabilities and Formats
The plugin excels at format conversion and expansion. It can read existing panning and volume automation data, allowing you to take a standard 5.1 mix and quickly transform it into a discrete 7.1 mix, then evolve it into a full 3D audio mix for cinema, home theater, VR, or mobile. This workflow saves significant time compared to remixing from scratch.
A standout feature is its support for MPEG-H authoring, mixing, monitoring, exporting, and encoding, including formats compatible with Sony 360 Reality Audio. It is described as the only tool for this purpose. The binaural processing is based on measurements from real studios and anechoic chambers, enabling accurate headphone monitoring of any format when a loudspeaker system is not available.
Workflow and Control
The Producer edition provides extensive control. You can manage input objects and outputs via OSC (Open Sound Control), allowing integration with external controllers or software. The graphical user interface is customizable, letting you adjust the panning grid between box and sphere styles to suit your preference or project requirements.
Object-based export is handled through a separate offline export tool, which renders your production in any desired format discretely. This means you can create a mix in one environment and then render it for various delivery formats without re-mixing. The output monitoring section includes gain, mute, and solo functions for each discrete output, as well as for individually selected groups, which is essential for calibration and quality control.
Practical Applications and Binaural Production
The Spatial Audio Designer is well-suited for music producers, post-production engineers, and sound designers working on immersive content. It is particularly useful for creating binaural mixes for headphone listeners, as the virtual loudspeaker processing allows you to produce convincing spatial audio without a physical multi-speaker setup. This is ideal for streaming platforms that support binaural audio.
For installation-based projects like planetariums or themed environments, the ability to define custom output configurations is a major advantage. The Producer edition includes two seats, making it convenient for collaborative work in a studio or facility. The plugin’s flexibility with existing automation data also makes it a practical choice for updating legacy surround mixes to modern 3D audio standards.
Key features
- Three plugins: Send, Mix, and Channel Out for a complete mixing engine
- Supports a wide range of immersive formats including MPEG-H and Dolby Atmos
- Object-based processing with unlimited inputs and up to 330 outputs
- Binaural virtual loudspeaker monitoring based on real measurements
- OSC control for all input objects and outputs
- Customizable GUI with box or sphere panning grid
- Object-based export via separate offline tool
Best for
Ideal for audio professionals who need to create, monitor, and export immersive mixes in formats like Dolby Atmos, MPEG-H, and Sony 360 Reality Audio, especially those working on music, film, VR, or installation projects requiring binaural monitoring or custom speaker layouts.