Q&ASpeaker location is different for
each customer in the real world, but
for headphones case, 13 locations are
virtually de ned so rst rendered to
13 speakers, than binaurally to two
ears. 13 is a good balance between
audio quality and transmission
requirements, so it’s enough good,
but still operable to create a full
sphere of audio.
Spatial Audio typically relies
on your individual HRTF (Head
related transfer function). Is that
true for 360 Reality Audio too?
How will it work for speakers?
Nageno: HRTF is for headphones
reproduction. Each person has
a HRTF for each direction so we
measure each person’s HRTF
and match it to our headphone
response in our library. For
speakers’ case, the rst one is
multiple speaker reproduction.
Just rendering sound objects to
multiple locations. There’s no
HRTF technology, just rendering
to a sound location.
But there’s other technologies like
virtual surround that do have some
application of HRTF technology, so
example with sound bars, we make
calculations based on HRTF how to
“place” the virtual speakers.
Will 360 Reality Audio be a new
audio format, and will we need
new software/players to play it?
Nageno: For now, it’s going to
be under MPEG-H; but we have
no name for it yet. It should be a
new format. We’re talking to many
partners to develop the required
products and software so that’s
under construction.3D audio seems to be a trend
now, with multiple companies
pushing out their offerings
recently.
Nageno: We believe 3D audio for
customers is an impressive thing.
With this, we can deliver some
new experience for customers with
music. One thing is high delity of
the sound eld. When you listen to a
live concert, you can feel the ceiling
height, the sound of the hall... If you
listen through headphones, every
sound is coming in just this area
*gestures to the sides*.
About 50% is direct sound,
and the other 50% is indirect
sound. So, for recording engineers,
with just two channel recording,
they cannot record the full tone.
They have to reduce the full tone,
because 80% of the sound is
overlapped with the echoic sound.This is the rst time we’ll be able
to record the full tone because
everything can be mapped.
Then the second point is about
creation. You know Bohemian
Rhapsody? It’s something like
creation. Galileo comes through the
side. If the sound can come from
any place, musicians can locate
the sound in any place, even if
it’s not real. Music can be more
attractive with new ideas for
sound location. So we deliver a
canvas that they can use to
create music.
Third, is an interactive experience.
Listeners can choose their listening
position with 3D audio. For example
on some orchestral reproductions,
they can choose to listen from the
conductor's side, or one of the
instruments. Not only with
music, but maybe with sports
too. It’s just more possibilities
for people to enjoy entertainment.
Of course that means capture will
become more complex too, because
you’ll need to match position for
each player on the eld.What would you say is the
ultimate audio experience
for you?
Sato: I commute by train, so I’m
listening everyday by in-ear with
Walkman. But my living room has
an Atmos set-up that I use to enjoy
movies on the weekend.
Nageno: Frankly speaking I
listen to any type of music, and
professionally I like to check the
sound. But personally, I’m not
an audio maniac. I enjoy playing
instruments like trombone and
wind instruments with other
people. I generally listen any
kind of music, but especially
classical music. Not recent
recordings, but the older ones;
mono-aural recordings. That type
of old music satis es me. Of course,Listeners can choose
listening position
with 3D audio. For
example, on orchestral
reproduction, they can
choose to listen from
the coductor's side, or
an instrument.
42 HWM | JUNE 2019