Røde Microphones has launched the Ambisonic Sound Library – a collection of Ambisonic recordings made by some of the world’s top sound recordists, that is free to download, giving users access to hundreds of high-quality Ambisonic recordings to use in projects.
The library also gives users who are new to Ambisonics the chance to experience the editing and sound manipulation options made possible by the Røde’s SoundField plug-in even without access to an Ambisonic microphone.
The theory and practice behind Ambisonics was developed in Britain in the late 1960s and early ’70s, with the first SoundField Ambisonic microphone invented by Michael Gerzon and Professor Peter Craven in 1975 and developed for commercial release in 1978. Ambisonics remained a high-end niche recording format until the emergence of virtual reality and 360° video applications, and the release of the SoundField by Røde NT-SF1 Ambisonic microphone. Launched in 2018 following the acquisition of SoundField by The Freedman Group (Røde Microphones’ parent) in 2016, the SoundField by Røde NT-helped reposition Ambisonic recording with a broadcast-grade Ambisonic microphone at under US$1,000. With VR and 360° video rapidly evolving, the once esoteric recording technology has worked its way into the immersive media mainstream.
Featuring four high-quality T45C condenser capsules arranged in a tetrahedral array, the NT-SF1 captures the entire spherical sound field around the microphone. These recordings can be endlessly manipulated in post-production using the SoundField by Røde Plug-in, including virtually changing the mic directivity, position, and rotation, allowing users to create everything from a 7.1.4 surround mix to a fully head-tracked 360° soundscape for immersive video. The SoundField by Røde Plug-in offers a revolutionary approach to Ambisonic processing coupled with a user interface unprecedented in its ease of use and accessibility.
Over the past 18 months, sound recordists including composer and field recordist Watson Wu and electronic musician and sound designer Richard Devine – have travelled the world capturing soundscapes using the NT-SF1, creating the largest collection of Ambisonic recordings in one place, the Ambisonic Sound Library.
Containing hundreds of high-quality, royalty-free Ambisonic recordings ranging from atmospheric soundscapes to specific sound effects, the library is an invaluable resource for sound designers, filmmakers, and audio producers.
‘Users can preview and download the Ambisonic files and load them into the free SoundField by Røde Plug-in in any digital audio workstation – from there, the possibilities are limitless,’ the company says. ‘The Ambisonic Sound Library is also an excellent introduction for those who are curious about Ambisonic recording but haven’t had the chance to get their hands on an Ambisonic microphone.’
All recordings are free to download and use.
