Immersive Innovation from Merging and FLUX:: Immersive
Pyramix, Ovation and SPAT Revolution offers the ideal workflow
Merging Technologies shares stand 7-P190 with our long-term partners from FLUX:: Immersive and will be demonstrating how simple content can be prepared for live events. The increased popularity of immersive audio content in all its forms is driving the need to repurpose or create programs for use in a host of different environments. Making this process simple for the creative community is a goal shared by the two companies.
SPAT Revolution is already established as a very versatile and flexible spatialization tool for live and prepared content and can be simply integrated with Merging’s Ovation playout and show control system. Ovation has been at the heart of many museums, theme parks, stadiums and product launch events for many years. These have all increasingly demanded more complex audio mixing and cueing. More recently, object-based sound design has been the key to managing how multiple speakers can be used to better effect. The key advantage of Ovation is having the sound design software in the same computer. Pyramix allows precise object-based mixing and soundtrack preparation that can be dragged across to Ovation allowing very rapid alterations to be made. What is new is the ability to import ADM files directly into Pyramix and thence to Ovation to immediately adjust those files to suit the production. Since the popularity of Dolby Atmos for Music is growing daily, it is not surprising there are many mixes already completed that can be adapted for other purposes. Regardless of what DAW was used to originate the original track, that ADM file can be imported with all the metadata into Pyramix. A truly hassle-free process. Once transferred to Ovation, the integration with SPAT via ADM-OSC protocol allows remote control of the spatial engine. This workflow - Any DAW -> Atmos ADM -> Pyramix -> Ovation <-> ADM-OSC <-> SPAT Revolution will be demonstrated by Merging and FLUX:: Immersive representatives.
MERGING+ANUBIS has already proven extremely popular with the creative community and, in partnership with MERGING+HAPI MKII, makes the perfect high-quality Dolby Atmos monitoring system. Not only does this offer exceptional value for money and unprecedented control of your audio, but it also offers you the exceptional audio quality expected from Merging. The Monitor Mission can control up to 9.1.6 with ease and Merging is preparing to offer a single SKU bundle for Atmos monitoring to include all you need to easily get started.
Anubis has acquired two new “Missions” since ISE 2020. The Music Mission converts this tiny box into a powerful and fully featured mixer for live and studio applications. The Commentary Unit Mission is a dedicated two commentator controller that complies with all broadcast IP standards. This was developed in partnership with a leading international broadcaster and has been tested in major sporting events already.
As if this was not enough, Merging is also making changes to its VAD and MAD drivers for Mac and PC. A simple version of VAD for Mac OS has been available for free download for years and now an improved version will be on sale for a nominal amount and is capable of 64 channels at 48kHz. A new Premium VAD that can be used without a Merging device being present offers enhanced performance. This offers 128 channels at any sample rate and will cost a modest amount more. One key advantage Merging can offer those working in Dolby Atmos is a reduction in interfacing hardware. VAD plus a suitable Mac can be directly connected to the Atmos renderer without additional interface boards. In the case of the PC user, although it requires the presence of a Merging product on the network, it allows the DAW and the renderer to be on the same PC.
If it comes to immersive audio production, Merging has the experience and the expertise that can only be acquired by being involved with more than stereo audio since the very beginning. “We honestly believe that we have an unbeatable toolset for immersive audio production and playout”; commented Dominique Brulhart, Merging’s Head of Software. “We have been working in partnership with customers and like-minded companies such as FLUX:: Immersive, to streamline and enhance the production process as well as the end-user experience. ISE 2022 sees Merging in a great position but the crusade for simplicity continues.”
Finally, ISE will see the formal launch of Stagenet which is an initiative to simplify the routing and management of IP from an intuitive web interface. A powerful team of experts from Arista, Merging, Matrox, Simplexity, and Stagetec will be on stand 5-Q850 to explain how this will work, how the industry needs open standards and why other suppliers should join the partnership.