Free downloads at Ambisonia.com

OldManCan said:

For those of us with hardware for playback (in my case, a Meridian processor) and without a software option (no PC w/sound card), how can we author a working disc using the B format files?

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martin.leese said:

This Forum doesn't mention Ambisonia.com, so I thought I would post a thread doing so.

Regards,
Martin

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martin.leese said:

As you have a Meridian processor, there is a chance you can play B-Format CDs directly. I do not own Meridian gear, so have asked for help on the sursound e-mailing list. Somebody will get back to you.

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1. Convert the B-Format to two-channel UHJ and burn a stereo CD. This works, but you will lose quality.
2. Burn a DVD-Audio disc using Meridian Lossless Packing (MLP). MLP can handle B-Format. Unfortunately it is proprietary, so the software to do this will cost you money.
3. Create an MLP CD. Only Meridian hardware can play such CDs. Unfortunately Meridian has never published the specification for them.

As Richard Ellen points out, we can also
use MLP to encode B-format, cut a CDR
and deliver this from a CD player as a
means to demonstrate surround.

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martin.leese said:

...
I asked on the sursound list for somebody from Meridian to chip in, but they didn't.

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• Burn a DTS CD or DTS DVD containing three channels (W, X, Y), then set the Meridian decoder to "Ambisonic". He has never tried this himself; instead he has always provided S/PDIF inputs from other sources.

There isn't any simple or straightforward solution, if you want to go the
hardware way, but it is possible.

I'd suggest:
- download the B-Format file(s)
- make a DTS-CD or a Dolby Digital CD in the same way as the Quad
people have been doing with Quad recordings. Instead of using
quadraphonic files, use the B-Format files, WXYZ. For this you need
a DTS or Dolby Digital Encoder. AFAIK there is no such free software
available, that would encode 44.1 kHz SR.
Minnetonka:
http://www.minnetonkaaudio.com/
The Vortex Zoom encoder encodes two stereo files into DTS:
http://im-research.com/images/vze_screen_snap.jpg

- OR: make a DVD-V disc. Use the same B-Format audio files, but now
they need to be 48 kHz SR. And - you need a video file, at least a black
frame "stretched" to the duration. There is a free AC-3 encoder that does
48 kHz, but not 44.1 kHz (Thus ok for DVD, but not for CD):
http://code.google.com/p/wavtoac3encoder/
and a shareware encoder with a 15 days trial time:
http://www.mp3-converter.biz/ac3-tools-pro/

- OR: make an "Audio DVD-V":
http://www.audio-dvd-creator.com/
I haven't tried the program for a long time, but it should support multichannel
audio now. I am not sure.

There isn't any standard or proposal for the track order on these. I have made
demo discs for myself in such a way, that I have had the two Ambisonic
UHJ channels L and R at the place of the normal L and R of a 5.1 disc.
Then used Ls for W, C for X and Rs for Y. If you need full periphonic, use
which channel order you like.

Making a multichannel DTS-CD or Dolby Digital CD or a DVD-V is not
the difficult part. The problem is how to connect the B-Format signals
into the Meridian processor, as you need to patch the correct channels into
correct inputs. You will need a DTS or a Dolby Digital decoder with analog line
level outputs for each channel, such as the Creative DDTS 100:
http://uk.europe.creative.com/corporate/pressroom/releases/detail.asp?rtype=4&ref=11661
This particular product may not be available anymore.

So far I haven't found a standalone DVD player with internal decoding, that really
would _decode_ DTS or DD from DTS-CD:s or DD-CD:s. You need to connect
the player into a decoder in _digital domain_, then connect the decoded analog
signals into the Meridian.

Hope this helps.

Eero

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