Surround Your Sound: 3D Audio Production for VR

Immerse yourself in the creative considerations, production methods, and technical requirements for executing a Virtual Reality (VR) or 360-degree aural landscape.

Of equal importance to strong, interesting visuals in any successful VR or 360° video experience is a clean, full, and ear-catching sound mix. Broken up into two deep-dive sections, this course will immerse you in the theoretical/aesthetic aspects of 3D audio production as well as show you the application of these concepts in an instructor-led demonstration.

The first half of course will review the basic concepts involved in the production, post-production, distribution and consumption of immersive content; the science of 3D audio; and the methods involved in composing and mixing music in an immersive way. In the second, you’ll witness and participate in the producing and mixing an actual project.

The first section will include overviews of:

• Intro to 360° video technology: 360 video workflow (360 cameras, fine-stitching, editing, VFX); 3D audio (ambisonics technology, spatial audio spatialization, 3D audio playback); and distribution platforms (YouTube, Facebook, Littlstar, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Samsung VR).
• Focus on 3D audio: production sound (microphones techniques); post-production sound (equipment workflow, techniques involved to produce spatial sound); and technical considerations for audio playback in 360 videos.
• 360 music production: static vs. spatial ratios; space organization for acoustic instrumentations; using EQ and reverb to reinforce perception of distance; stereo delay to introduce decorrelation in stereo stems; and dynamic 360 panning and stem positional overlap.

The second section will involve a demonstration of how to produce and mix an actual project, with audio recordings captured in class with an ambisonic microphone and with pre-recorded material provided by the instructor. This section will encourage students to suggest creative choices to satisfy some of the concept covered in the first section.

It is recommended that students have prior experience and basic knowledge using Pro Tools or any DAW to fully enjoy this class.

What You Will Learn

• Get introduced to the world of VR and 360 content.
• Discover the latest 3D audio recording techniques.
• Learn how to produce music in a 360 environment.
• Witness a live mixing session using cutting-edge technology.
• Experience the resulting fully immersive aural experience designed in class.

Prerequisites & Preparation

This course is best suited for people with limited or non-professional exposure of VR/immersive audio techniques and best practices, but either are looking to incorporate these considerations into an existing project or simply gain a more comprehensive knowledge of the study and application of this craft.

If possible, students should also bring their own good quality headphones (not earphones) to get the best experience from the demo session.