Setting ambisonic mode on OpenMixer
- Locate two OpenMixer control panels on the left side of LED monitor.
- Set your input as LINUX or NETJACK according to your source on the LEFT panel.
- Press On/Off button on the RIGHT panel.
- Press 3D button on AMBISONIC DECODER MODE on the RIGHT panel.
- Adjust the left-most volume fader on the LEFT panel for overall volume.
Access your local folder in the Linux Machine in listening room (CMN4)
- Locate the path below. This is the folder you will save your work for this exercise. You might have to find "Filesystem" in the file explorer to see it. This is the hard drive space on local machine. It would be convenient to collect all the sound files you will be using for Ardour project in this folder.
/audio/mus155/[YOUR_CCRMA_LOGIN_NAME]
- You can find the Ardour template at the path below. You can load this template in Ardour. (do not need to double-click) Just remember this location for later.
/audio/mus155/templates/music155.template
Using Ardour project template for ambisonics
This template is using an external routing for 4-channel ambisonic reverberation. That means you have to launch the additional reverb processor before you launch Ardour.
- Launch Jack Audio Server with qjackctl.
- Start zita-rev1 at PlanetCCRMA > Digital Processing > Zita Rev1 (Amb out)
- Launch Ardour in Applications > Sound & Video > Ardour.
- Select "Create Folder In" > "Other" > "File System" (on the left panel)
- Navigate to the path below and press "Open"
/audio/mus155/[YOUR_CCRMA_LOGIN_NAME]
- Select "Name" and type the name of your session.
- Select "Template" and navigate to:
/audio/mus155/templates/music155.template
- Press "New"
A new session will be created. You will find many useful features in the mixer window. (Window > Open Mixer)
Working with template
The track and channels in the mixer are pre-configured for you:
- RevBus: Reverb bus (stereo)
You should send stereo Sends here to be reverberated. This is automatically connected to zita-rev1 if it was started before Ardour.
- RevReturn: The 4-channel ambisonics reverb return from Zita-rev1
This is automatically connected to zita-rev1 if it was started before Ardour.
- Audio 1: One channel with the Ambisonics panner already installed.
You can convert that single channel before changing it to a channel template, in the Mixer window right click on the name of track (top button), select "Save as Template" and choose a name (for example "Amb33"), press ENTER. When creating new tracks click on the "Channel Configuration" popup and select the template you just made ("Amb33"). Click on "Add", the new track will have a properly routed Ambisonics panner.
You need to add a "Send" to each channel you want to reverberate. Right click in the post fader plugin well, select "New Send", the in the window that pops up convert that into a stereo send (Click on "Remove" till there are only two channels left) and connect them to the inputs of the RevBus bus. Once you have a send set up properly you can right click on it, select "Copy", then move to another channel, right click on the output plugins area and select "Paste" to have another comfigured instance set up.
Building Ardour project for ambisonics panning from scratch
Usually this method is not recommended unless you want to practice how the system works. In most cases, a template project provided by Fernando will suffice your purpose.
- Launch Jack Audio Server with qjackctl.
- Launch Ardour in Applications > Sound & Video > Ardour.
- Ardour will display create session window on launched.
- Click Advanced Options and modify your number of master buses to 16.
- Shift+E to see the channel strip on the left pane of project window. (Alternatively you can use mixer window.)
- Bypass a default panner on the master bus by right-clicking and selecting bypass.
- Create an audio track by right-clicking the track list area.
- Select mono configuration for ambisonic plug-in.
- Right-click the post-fader region in channel strip and add an ambisonic plug-in:
New Plug-in > Plug-in Manager > {search for "AMB" } > AMB order 3,3 panner
- Double click the plug-in label on the channel to open control panel.
Post-fade location and ambisonic plug-in:
Using the post-fader region is important for ambisonic panner because it should have complete control of the channel volume. If you want to use more plug-ins in the post-fader location, please note that the ambisonic plug-in should be the last thing in the plug-in chain. Also be mindful of the number of input and output in plug-in; the ambisonic plug-in requires mono input signal. If you are using an effect plug-in with stereo output, make sure to use a downmixer to convert streams from stereo to mono.
Using Automation in Ardour
- Click a button on the audio track or bus channel that you want to automate.
- Select an item from the drop-down menu to create automation track.
- Set automation mode to Play.
- Create an envelope by connecting automation points. You can add points by clicking automation track area. To remove a point, click it and press delete key.
- Repeat from step 1 if you want to automate more items.
- "show all automation" and "show enabled automation" feature will save you from the hassle.
Syncing Ardour project with 3D video file using qjadeo
The workstation in the Listening Room now has a video card with two DVI outputs. You can have the Linux desktop showing up in the regular monitor and an extension (to the right) that shows up in the 3D tv in 1080p.
- Jack Server and Ardour should be running behind.
- Launch Applications > Sound & Video > Qjadeo.
- Select your video file you want play in Qjadeo.
- The video window of Qjadeo can be dragged to the 3DTV, swiched to full screen by pressing "f".
Switching to full screen is necessary in order to use the 3D mode in the TV. See this if you are unsure about how to change 3D mode.
- Go ahead and put your 3D glasses on!