360 Ambisonic Sound Recording

For my tests I used a Zoom H3-VR recorder which features a 4 microphone ambisonic array.

The device is very simple to use… select a format – Ambisonics A, Ambisonics B (FuMa/AmbiX), then place the mic and hit record.

The Zoom Ambisonics Player application loads the recorded files and allows adjustment of direction, as well as exporting to a range of formats; stereo, binaural, 5.1 surround and custom left/right.

For the recording I placed the microphone on the floor in an exhibition. There were people all around and music playing from speaker stacks in different directions, so I thought this would be an interesting place for the test. I recorded using the AmbiX format which writes to a 4 channel WAV file.

When I loaded the recorded file into the Zoom software, I played with the controls, and adjusted the horizontal positioning so that the music source was more central. Then I exported the file as a stereo binaural WAV. You can hear the results:

I find it interesting that the software can reposition the 4 channel recording so effectively. It is possible to play this file on a VR headset and have the adjustments made in realtime as the user moves their head around in ‘3DOF’ 3 degrees of freedom. This makes this format very useful for any experience limited to 3DOF, such as 360 video.