Ambisonics

Summary

In this 100th-anniversary episode of the Immersive Audio Podcast, Oliver Kadel and Monica Bolles travel to the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas to host a panel discussion on the State of Play of Immersive Audio – Past, Present & Future. We proudly feature our special guests the Segment Manager for Immersive and Experiential Applications at HOLOPLOT – Natalia Szczepanczyk and the Co-Founder and CTO of Audioscenic Limited – Marcos Simón.

This panel highlights the key developments that have defined the immersive audio industry for the past decade, reflects on the current trends and looks to the future. Our expert guests cover the key sectors: large-scale immersive events, interactive live performance, spatial audio for consumer devices and specialist virtual training and immersive media production. In an era where audio experiences are becoming increasingly integral to entertainment, gaming, virtual reality, and beyond, understanding the latest innovations and market dynamics is crucial. We discuss spatial audio, content creation, consumer adoption, and market challenges and opportunities.

Natalia Szczepanczyk (HOLOPLOT)

Natalia Szczepanczyk is the Segment Manager for Immersive and Experiential Applications at HOLOPLOT. She has a design and consultancy background and previously worked with loudspeaker manufacturer Genelec and consultancies Mouchel and Buro Happold. Natalia specialises in audio system design and acoustics for experiential audience experiences within the themed entertainment and experiential sectors.

Marcos Simón (AUDIOSCENIC)

Marcos Simón is the Co-Founder and CTO of Audioscenic Limited.  He is a world expert in sound beamforming technologies and audio signal processing that turned into an entrepreneur to change the way people currently consume spatial audio.  Marcos Simón graduated in 2010 from the Technical University of Madrid with a B.Sc. in Telecommunications. Later he joined the University of Southampton where he pursued a PhD in using sound beamforming to improve audibility in hard-of-hearing people. He later did post-doctoral research in spatial audio at the same institution and went on to co-found Audioscenic in 2019. Marcos is currently focused on the commercialisation of Audioscenic technology and on liaising with the wider audio industry advocating for making spatial audio a present reality. Marcos combines his innovation passion with a love for cooking, sailing and DJing electronic music.

Monica Bolles (Resonant Interactions)

Monica Bolles has been working with spatial audio since 2011 when she first gained access to her local planetarium’s 15.1-channel surround system. Since then she has been continuously building toolsets in Max MSP to create large textured soundscapes that explore space, movement, and interaction. She is both a technician and an artist. She works to help artists and composers translate their work to spatial environments while at the same time creating and producing her own works that have been exhibited in large-scale multi-channel speaker arrays ranging in size from 8 to 140 channels. She is currently co-host of the Immersive Audio Podcast and helps to host the Spatial Audio Meetups organized by NOTAM.

Oliver Kadel (1.618 Digital)

Oliver Kadel is a multi-award-winning 3D sound designer, recording and mixing engineer based in London, UK. Since 2014 he’s worked on over 200 projects delivering spatial and interactive audio for new-generation immersive media including VR, MR, AR and 360, covering a broad range of sectors from virtual training and branded content to films, gaming, and location-based installations.  In early 2018, Oliver and his team launched the Immersive Audio Podcast which hosts industry experts and influential guests discussing all areas of immersive audio and the XR industry.

Listen to Podcast

Shownotes

SXSW – https://schedule.sxsw.com/2024/events/PP132288

Natalia Szczepanczyk – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nszcz/

HOLOPLOT – https://holoplot.com

Marcos Simón – https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmfsg/

AUDIOSCENIC – https://www.audioscenic.com/

Monica Bolles – https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-bolles/

Oliver Kadel – https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverkadel/

Our Sponsors

HHB Communications is the UK’s leader in Pro Audio Technology. For years HHB has been delivering the latest and most innovative pro audio solutions to the world’s top recording studios, post facilities, and broadcasters. The team at HHB provide best-in-class consultation, installation, training, and technical support to customers who want to build or upgrade their studio environment for immersive audio workflow. To find out more or book a demo at their HQ facility visit www.hhb.co.uk

Innovate Audio offers a range of software-based spatial audio processing tools. Their latest product, panLab Console, is a macOS application that adds 3D spatial audio rendering capabilities to live audio mixing consoles, including popular models from Yamaha, Midas and Behringer. This means you can achieve an object-based audio workflow, utilising the hardware you already own. Immersive Audio Podcast listeners can get an exclusive 20% discount on all panLab licences, use code Immersive20 at checkout. Find out more at innovateaudio.co.uk *Offer available until June 2024.*

HOLOPLOT is a Berlin-based pro-audio company, which features the multi-award-winning X1 Matrix Array. X1 is software-driven, combining 3D Audio-Beamforming and Wave Field Synthesis to achieve authentic sound localisation and complete control over sound in both the vertical and horizontal axes. HOLOPLOT is pivoting the revolution in sound control, enabling the positioning of virtual loudspeakers within a space, allowing for a completely new way of designing and experiencing immersive audio on a large scale. To find more, visit holoplot.com.

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Credits

This episode was produced by Oliver Kadel and Emma Rees and included music by Rhythm Scott.