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Ambisonics is a complicated and often misunderstood aspect of pro audio. Originally developed in the 1970s, Ambisonics is a surround sound format that captures spherical 360° audio, allowing users to create immersive recordings that are compatible with any playback system, from mono to Dolby Atmos and beyond.
Although Ambisonics technology didn’t fully catch on when it was first introduced, it’s currently enjoying a renaissance as audio professionals discover its impressive potential thanks to the rising popularity of immersive audio over the last few years.
For decades, Ambisonic audio has been regarded as a stuffy, scientific approach to capturing spatially precise recordings that are typically reserved for virtual reality and 3D video—until now.
Soyuz’s new 013 Ambisonic Microphone is more than just an easy-to-use entry point into immersive audio for musicians, engineers, and producers—it’s also a versatile studio condenser microphone, a killer room mic, and the perfect solution for one-mic drum recordings.
Continue reading to learn more about Ambisonic audio, the new Soyuz 013 Ambisonic microphone, and how it can help enhance your creativity in the studio. But first, let’s start with the basics.
Ambisonics is a “full-sphere” surround sound format and recording technique that uses a special multi-capsule array to capture sound in a full 360° sphere around the microphone.
Unlike traditional surround sound formats, which only reproduce sound in two directions (width and depth), Ambisonics captures and reproduces sound in all directions (width, depth, and height).
Think of it like a three-dimensional version of mid/side recording with additional channels for height and depth.
Using special software, the audio is then encoded into Ambisonic format, where it can be processed, edited, and decoded into other formats such as stereo or even Dolby Atmos.
Unlike Dolby Atmos and other conventional surround sound formats, Ambisonics does not assign audio channels to specific speakers for playback. Instead, it uses a speaker-independent signal, which can be decoded for any playback system.
While Dolby Atmos requires a carefully calibrated array of eight or more speakers* for proper playback, Ambisonic audio can be optimized for any playback system.
*It’s worth noting that several brands do offer Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbars and headphones, but they all require special hardware and only simulate true 360° playback.
Both Ambisonics and binaural audio are recording techniques used to capture spatial audio, but Ambisonics is also its own surround sound format, which provides additional flexibility in the mixing stage.
Binaural audio (also known as binaural recording) was designed to reflect the way we naturally hear sound.
Several brands offer binaural microphones—which often either resemble earbuds or actual human ears to further simulate our hearing—but the same effect can be achieved with any stereo pair of mics.
The binaural recording method uses two capsules pointed in opposite directions, with the capsules typically placed about 6” apart to reflect the distance between our ears.
While binaural recording is a great way to capture a more immersive sound, it doesn’t offer the same depth and clarity as Ambisonics, or the ability to adjust things after recording.
Now that you’ve got a better understanding of how Ambisonics is different from immersive and binaural audio, let’s dive into the new Soyuz 013 Ambisonic microphone.
In addition to being a great all-around studio condenser mic, Soyuz’s new 013 Ambisonic microphone makes it easy for anyone to start experimenting with immersive audio. And the best part is, you don’t need any experience with surround sound or special gear to do it.
The Soyuz 013 Ambisonic mic comes bundled with everything you need to start recording immersive 360° audio right out of the box—but more on that later. First, let’s take a look at what’s under the hood of this groundbreaking new mic.
You may be thinking, “Wait a minute, doesn’t Soyuz already have an 013 microphone?”—and you would be correct. The 013 FET has been one of Soyuz’s top-selling small diaphragm condenser microphones for years now.
The new Soyuz 013 Ambisonic microphone builds on that success by combining four of the brand’s best-selling 013 FET mics into a single, phase-coherent, four-channel microphone with Ambisonic capabilities.
Unlike other Ambisonic microphones, which are generally transformerless or use small electret capsule designs, the 013 Ambisonic microphone uses large 25mm capsules for a wider frequency range with enhanced detail and low-end. In fact, they’re the same high-end capsules found in the brand’s 013 FET mics.
Just like all Soyuz mics, the 013 Ambisonic is hand-machined in-house, which allows the techs to carefully and precisely match the capsules on each microphone.
Ambisonics has been a popular format for field recordings, virtual reality, and 360 video for several years, but is just starting to catch on in the studio world.
Creative engineers have been using Ambisonic microphones in the studios since they first started appearing on the market. Many use them for capturing ensembles and live recordings to great effect.
Ambisonic microphones can be a great way to naturally increase the width of analog recordings. They can be used to subtly enhance stereo drum overheads and room mics, or as a creative effect to push the boundaries of what’s possible with sound.
Even if you’re recording something simple like vocals or guitars, the 013 Ambisonic microphone provides added depth and realism, and gives you total control over your sound when mixing.
While it may seem intimidating at first, the good news is that you don’t need to be an immersive audio expert or upgrade your speakers to start experimenting with Ambisonics in the studio. All you need is the Soyuz 013 Ambisonic microphone and some creativity.
Alright, enough talk, let's hear how this thing sounds! Check out sound samples of the Soyuz 013 Ambisonic Microphone below.
Remember the special Ambisonic software we mentioned earlier? Soyuz has partnered with immersive software pioneers Audio Brewers to develop a custom plug-in bundle specifically for the 013 Ambisonic microphone.
In addition to handling the encoding and decoding responsibilities, Soyuz’s 013 Ambisonic Transcoder and Decoder plug-ins also allow you to re-arrange and re-shape your sound in new directions and perspectives, even after recording.
It’s similar to how modeling microphones let you change things like the polar pattern or mic placement after recording—except instead of modeling, the Ambisonic 013 captures all of the information at the source and lets you choose the perfect settings afterward.
Another benefit of using separate plug-ins is that the Decoder is compatible with any audio that's already been converted into Ambisonic B-Format.
And of course, both plug-ins are compatible with all of your favorite DAWs!
Next, let’s talk about how to set up the Soyuz 013 Ambisonic microphone to get the best results.
The first thing you’re likely to notice when setting up your Soyuz 013 Ambisonic microphone is the included four-channel breakout cable, which looks a bit different than your traditional XLR cable.
These four color-coded cables correspond to the four capsules of the mic, and it’s important that you connect them in the following order:
For the best results, connect the breakout cable to four identical preamps and set each channel to equal gain. This helps keep the soundfield sounding natural during mixdown.
In order to accurately adjust the orientation of the mic during mixdown, it’s important to make sure the microphone is pointed in the right direction when recording.
Start by locating the Directional Indicator, a small grey dot in the center of the capsules. This dot should be pointed towards the sound source and considered your “north star” while recording.
Pro Tip: Be sure to document or photograph where the mic is placed and how it’s positioned. This can be very helpful if you need to re-record something or provide context when passing files to another engineer.
Next, it’s time to configure your DAW for Ambisonic recording. Unlike other Ambisonic plug-ins, which combine the transcoder and decoder into a single plug-in, the Soyuz 013 Ambisonic Transcoder and Decoder plug-ins are intentionally separated so you can use other Ambisonic plug-ins while mixing.
Start by loading the Transcoder plug-in at the top of your signal chain. This plug-in converts the mic signals from raw audio (A-Format) to Ambisonic B-Format for further processing.
In the Transcoder plug-in, you can choose between Quality Mode and Monitor Mode. Quality Mode is specially calibrated for the 013A capsule and offers the greatest sound quality and immersion. Monitor Mode uses a zero-latency, low-CPU transcoding method tha’s ideal for real-time monitoring.
Based on the placement of the Directional Indicator from the last step, use the Orientation controls to select whether your mic is placed upright, horizontally, or upside down.
Next, load the Decoder plug-in at the end of your signal chain. Here, you can adjust the rotation of the microphone—kind of like moving the sound around your head! This plug-in also allows you to adjust Dominance, which is similar to panning from front to back or left to right.
Finally, using the Decoder Output section, you can choose what type of playback system the file is intended for, including mono, stereo, and a wide range of immersive and surround sound formats.
Check out this collection of video tutorials on setting up and using the new 013 Ambisonic Microphone, created by the folks at Soyuz.
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