Spatial audio settings?

FlixVR

Hi Skybox, can you please specify the ideal format for spatialised audio for use on the Oculus Quest 2? Can you also let me know what format do I encode my 1st order Ambix B, I am using Facebook 360 Encoder.

Many thanks,
Leon

Lucy

FlixVR
Hi Leon, SKYBOX supports Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD and Dolby Atmos. However, 1st order Ambix B is not supported at present.

getall

not only that, any 7.1 codec is not supported, the current spatial audio only works on 5.1 , you can listen yourself, the location of surround speaker is completely wrong, skybox refuse to fix the problem after I pointed it out more than half years ago

Lucy

getall
Hi there,

We're conscious that spatial audio doesn't work well. Over the past several months, we’ve been working on code refactoring in order to further improve SKYBOX's functions.

Your feedback is not neglected. Some known issues about Spatial audio feature will be fixed and improved eventually. Please give us more time.

BTW, on beta version 1.1.0, spatial audio was removed temporarily. However, it will come back later.

Let us know if you have any other problems and suggestions. Your feedback is always appreciated.

Best regards,
Lucy

CareyDodge

Skybox really needs to sort out at least 4 channel ambisonics otherwise the audio is not located in relationship the visuals. The basic ambsonics that youtube and facebook have are essential for any 360 content. I need to be able to hear where sound is comming from in a 360 video. Like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw5Dt3Qfpe0&list=PLLucAPoEvu3mqLP1x2HLdTkbvPVQpTHkh&index=6

ewok79

Hi, it's been a while since the spatial audio was removed because of some audio glitches... personally, I really liked this feature, cause it was an amazing benefit for the vr immersion so that the feeling of sitting in a cinema was really there... is it still gonna happen that there will be a comeback in the upcoming versions? It would be nice to just have a button in the settings so if someone doesn't have sound problems, the button can be switched on

Lucy

ewok79
Hello, we plan to add support for spatial audio in the next few updates. Please stay tuned for further updates.

k6ps

I was just wondering after using it the first time yesterday if it's missing in Quest 2.. Good to know the answer that it's just disabled.

What's the timeline then? Would like to know when I can continue watching Avatar 3D 🙂

Does spatial audio mean it just means you know where the screen is, or does it somehow better support 5.1 audio as well? I mean I have DVD rip with the original audio, but to me it just seemed like stereo. I didn't feel any immersion with sound.. I mean something like sound coming from back or top etc.

Lucy

k6ps
Hi there,

We plan to add support for spatial audio after two major releases. Besides, we hope you can share with us a video and tell us your desired surround sound effect.

k6ps

Watching 3d movies on quest is all new to me. I think I got the video part from blu-ray to mkv pretty good. Full side by side, high quality preset etc. It's amazing. But I'm not quite sure about the audio yet. What happens to 5.1 audio in headphones and Skybox or any alternative vr player? is it worth keeping the original 5.1 from Bluray?
I'll see if it's possible to create binaural audo from 5.1 and add that to the video.

Spatial audio is about making it feel like the audio is coming from certain locations of the room so if you move your head you feel more like in a real theater?

Lucy

k6ps ewok79
Thank you for your replies! I'll keep you updated when there's any progress.

ewok79

For me, as I remember, I felt both effects... directional spatial audio from certain spot (when moving your head, hearing the center sound always from the virtual frontside direction) AND surround sound, when watching for example starwars, you hear the tie fighters coming from behind. It was awesome and almost perfect, thats why I miss it so much. In the current version I also have the feeling its more like stereomix

k6ps

Example video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3txhT2ncNOU (headphones needed). So if your movie has 5.1 track this should be possible with.

k6ps

Maybe I understand this 3d audio concept all wrong. I've been now trying to convert 5.1 to 3d audio (binaural) and in the end it kind of seems the same that's in Skybox. Eg I tested this clip where an animal moves from right to left and the audio moved smoothly from right to left. So I think Skybox is aware of 5.1 audio track and makes use of it well.
Maybe 3d audio is more better with the objects actually moving in all directions on 3d scale. 5.1 audio is more static, speakers in static locations and the moving of things is already calculated in it.
Maybe only pro side of 5.1 to 3d audio for headphones is that there's less data and the file would be smaller? And I guess you can add environment effects like cinema, big room or even car to it but not sure if it's better than original..

Lucy

k6ps
Hi there, thanks for sharing the video. We downloaded it and found that it was 2-channel audio not 5.1 surround sound. Never mind, we got some videos with 5.1 audio.

Now you may be unable to hear the surround sound from different directions when you use SKYBOX to play a movie with 5.1 surround sound. We'll try to optimize the feature in future releases. Thanks for your understanding and support!

k6ps

Yes, it was stereo but it was compiled with binaural algorithm so it should give this feeling like the audio is coming outside of your headphones from all kinds of directions. You probably can't make a difference when you try on speakers. That's what I'm kind of trying to understand if converting to binaural would be better than 5.1 in headphones. But anyways, looking forward to those audio updates from Skybox! 🙂

YuriXkit

Hi, this quest video player has the spatial implemented. I'm not sure it still working, Devs abandoned it. But it had the effect that sound was coming from a specific place giving you an impression you are in a real cinema
https://sidequestvr.com/app/1523/cinevr

ewok79

Ok we have 1 year later and and lots of new cool features within the meta quest app.... but unfortunately still no progress regarding spatial sound.... the technology was already there in this app... why it's so hard to integrate it again? Meanwhile, there's already an app for the apple vision pro which has the spatial audio integrated... why not on the meta quest app? Regarding sound compatibilty, you just could make a switch to turn it on and off, so in case the soundfile won't play with spatial on you just can turn this option off. Despite the missing spatial option, you guys are really doing great work!

Lucy

ewok79
Hello, we're refactoring the spatial audio function for the Quest version. Thanks for your patience.

ewok79

Lucy Thx! We will talk again September next year... 😉