‘ab Encoder MS’
Audio Brewers ab Encoder MS is the easiest way to encode Mid/Side and Double Mid/Side signal into Ambisonics .
WHY?
Well - you see, there are two ways you an encode an MS signal to Ambisonics, you either decode it to discrete channels and then encode those to Ambisobnics - which would work in principle, but you’d lose all the information that exists between the Discrete points, and the whole deal of MS is that it keeps ALL the information of the stereophonic image (or 360 image if Double MS), you can encode this signal directly from MS to Ambisonics keeping ALL the information that exists!
ab Encoder MS was made with ease in mind - you shouldn’t have to spend more than 10 seconds encoding a signal to Ambisonics, and this is exactly how we based the whole development of this plugin: Fast and Easy - it simply WORKS!
ab Encoder MS also comes with a ‘smart troubleshooting’ algorithm, which will check your signal chain and let you know if something is wrong with it.
Simply select the type of audio you are encoding, it can be a Mid Side (MS) (2Ch) or a Double MS sound (3Ch or 4Ch), and that’s it!
Set the perceived Width to what you desire. The default setting (lowest) will distribute the sound equally between the sides and the front (and the rear if Double MS). Increasing it will increase the width sensation but the image might lose depth.
The encoded signal can be visualised on the bottom of the plugin, thanks to the included visualiser.
When working in Double MS (4ch), please mind that channel 4 should be EITHER completely silent, or a redundancy of Channel 2 (Side)
General considerations:
An MS file is comprised by a Mid channel going to channel 1 (Left), and a Side channel going to channel 2 (Right)
A 3-channel Double MS file is comprised by a Mid channel going to channel 1 (Left), a Side channel going to channel 2 (Right), and a Rear Mid channel going to channel 3 (Centre)
A 4-channel double MS file is comprised by a Mid channel going to channel 1 (Left), a Side channel going to channel 2 (Right), a Rear Mid channel going to channel 3 (Rear Left), and a Side channel going to channel 4 (Rear Right).
With the above in mind, make sure you route channels accordingly.
Per DAW Instructions
Presonus Studio One:
You MUST work in a 9.1.6 track, REGARDLESS of what type of file you are importing.
If you import a 3Ch WAV, make sure it’s set as 3.0 Cine (L R C), if it’s not, right click on the file, and on “Speakers”, select 3.0 C Cine
If you import a 4Ch WAV, make sure it’s set as 4.0 Cine (L R C rC), if it’s not, right click on the file, and on “Speakers”, select 4.0 Cine
Insert ‘ab Encoder MS’ ON YOUR FIRST SLOT, and set the plugin to match your WAV file (2CH, 3CH, or 4CH)
That’s it! Make sure you Upscale your signal if you want to increase the spatial resolution, and insert one of our Decoders in the panner!
Reaper:
You MUST work on a 4ch, 16ch, or 64ch track.
If you are using a 3Ch source, make sure channels go to channels 1, 2, and 3.
If you are using a 4Ch source, make sure channels go to channels 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Insert ‘ab Encoder MS’ ON YOUR FIRST SLOT, and set the plugin to match your WAV file (2CH, 3CH, or 4CH)
That’s it! Make sure you Upscale your signal if you want to increase the spatial resolution, and insert one of our Decoders at the end of your chain!
Logic Pro X:
You MUST work on a Dolby Atmos project.
You MUST work on a Surround track.
You can either work with a 2Ch WAV (MS) or a 4Ch WAV.
Insert ‘ab Encoder MS’ ON YOUR FIRST SLOT, and set the plugin to match your WAV file (2CH, or 4CH)
That’s it! Insert one of our Decoders at the end of your chain!
DaVinci Resolve
You MUST work on an Ambisonics track (we recommend you use a 5OA track so that you can upscale your signal right after encoding!).
If you are using a 3Ch source, make sure Resolve interprets it as LRC (if not, do it manually)
Insert ‘ab Encoder MS’ ON YOUR FIRST SLOT, and set the plugin to match your WAV file (2CH, 3CH, or 4CH)
That’s it! Resolve will decode the file automatically!