The Fundamentals of Sound Field Reproduction Using a Higher Order Ambisonics System

Conventional sound recording methods are based on recording the sound pressure level with a microphone which is after some signal processing reproduced by loudspeakers. In spatial audio, more than one microphone and loudspeaker are required to provide the sound source location information to the listener. Several spatial audio formats have been developed and some have successfully entered our homes, such as the the multichannel 5.1 surround system. Among spatial audio formats, Ambisonics stands out due to its capability of capturing and reproducing the whole sound field and is not limited to predefined loudspeaker setups. In the paper, the InnoRenew CoE’s Ambisonics system is introduced and some of its underlying principles are explained. Furthermore, practical examples of the use of Ambisonics, also in relation to Virtual reality applications, are presented.