In this tutorial we describe the process of converting 360 video and 3rd order Ambisonics to 2D video with binaural audio with linked rotation parameters.
This allows us to prepare a standard 2D video while keeping the focus on the action from the video and audio perspective.
It also allows us to control the video and audio rotation in real time using a single controller.

Reaper DAW was used to create automated rotation of 360 audio and video.
Audio recorded with ZYLIA ZM-1 microphone array.

Below you will find our video and text tutorial which demonstrate the setup process.
Thank you Red Bull Media House for providing us with the Ambisonics audio and 360 video for this project.

Ambisonics audio and 360 video is Copyrighted by Red Bull Media House Chief Innovation Office and Projekt Spielberg, contact: cino (@) redbull.com
Created by Zylia Inc. / sp. z o.o. https://www.zylia.co

Requirements for this tutorial:

•  Video and audio recorded with 360 video camera and ZM-1 microphone
•  ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter plugin
•  IEM Binaural Decoder
•  Reaper

We will use Reaper as a DAW and video editor, as it supports video and multichannel audio from the ZM-1 microphone.

Before recording the 360 video with the ZM-1 microphone make sure to have the front of the camera pointing the same direction as the front of the ZM-1 (red dot on the equator represents the front of the ZM-1 microphone) , this is to prevent future problems and to know in which direction to rotate the audio and video.

​Step 1 - Add your 360 video to a Reaper session. 

The video file format may be .mov .mp4 .avi or other.
From our experience we recommend to work on a compressed version of the video and replace this media file later for rendering (step 14).

To open the Video window click on View – VIDEO  or press Control + Shift + V to show the video.

Step 2 - Add the multichannel track recorded with the ZM-1 and sync the Video with the ZM-1 Audio track.

Import the 19 channel file from your ZM-1 and sync it with the video file.

​Step 3 – Disable or lower the volume of the Audio track from the video file.

Since we will not use the audio from the video track, we require to remove or put the volume from the audio track at minimum value. 
To do so, right click on the Video track – Item properties – move the volume slider to the minimum.

​Step 4 – Merge video and audio on the same track.

Select both the video and audio track and right click – Take – implode items across tracks into takes
This will merge video and audio to the same track but as different takes.

​Step 5 – Show both takes.
​
To show both takes, click on Options – Show all takes in lanes (when room) or press Ctrl + L

Step 6 – Change the number of channels to 20.

Click on the Route button and change the number of track channels from 2 to 20, this is required to utilize the 19 multichannel of the ZM-1.

​Step 7 - Play both takes simultaneously.

If we press play right now, it will only play the selected take, therefore we need to be able to play both takes simultaneously, therefore:

Right click on the track – Item settings – Play all takes.

​On the preset selection, choose Equirectangular/spherical 360 panner, this will flatten your 360 video allowing you to control the camera parameters such as field of view, yaw, pitch and roll.

Step 9 – As FX, add ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter plugin and IEM binaural Converter.

 On the FX window add as well:

• ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter plugin and set it to 3rd Ambisonics Order. Make sure to set the microphone orientation how you recorded it in the first place.
• IEM Binaural Decoder. Here you can choose headphone equalization at your liking.

You should now have the binaural audio which you can test by changing the rotation and elevation parameters in ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter plugin.

​Step 10 – Link the rotation of both audio and video.

The next steps will be dedicated to linking the Rotation of the ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter and the YAW parameter from the Video Processor.

On the main track, click on the Track Envelopes/Automation button and enable the UI for the YAW (in Equirectangular/spherical 360 panner) and Rotation (in ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter plugin).

​Step 11 – Control Video yaw with the ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter plugin.

On the same window, on the YAW parameters click on Mod…  (Parameter Modulation/Link for YAW) and check the box Link from MIDI or FX parameter.
Select ZYLIA Ambisonics plugin: Rotation

Step 12 – Align the position of the audio and video using the Offset control.

On the Parameter Modulation window you are able to fine-tune the rotation of the audio with the video.
Here we changed the ZYLIA Ambisonics plugin Rotation Offset to -50 % to allow the front of the video match the front of the ZM-1 microphone.

Step 13 – Change the Envelope mode to Write.

To record the automation of this rotation effect, right-click on the Rotation parameter and select Envelope to make the envelope visible.

​After, on the Rotation Envelope Arm button (green button), right click and change the mode to write.

​By pressing play you will record the automation of video and audio rotation in real time.

Step 14 – Prepare for Rendering

After writing the automation, change the envelope to Read mode instead of Write mode.

​Disable the parameter modulation from the YAW control:
Right click on Yaw and uncheck “Link from MIDI or FX parameter”

​OPTIONAL: Replace your video file with the uncompressed version.

If you have been working with a compressed video file, this is the time to replace it with the original media file. To do this, right click on the video track and select item properties.

Scroll to the next page and click Choose new file.
Then select your original uncompressed video file.

​Step 15 – Render!

You should now have your project ready for Rendering.
Click on File – Render and set Channels to Stereo.
On the Output format choose your preferred Video format.
We exported our clip in .mov file with video codec H.264 and 24bit PCM for the Audio Codec.

by Pedro Firmino

In continuation to our previous blog post “How to stream 3D audio in Binaural format with ZYLIA ZM-1 and ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter plugin” ... Here is how you are able to accomplish the same effect in a Windows system using a DAW with ReaStream and ZYLIA Ambisonics converter plugin.

What you require:
- ZYLIA ZM-1 microphone array
- ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter plugin
- BinauralDecoder plugin by IEM ( https://plugins.iem.at/ )
- ReaStream plugin (https://www.reaper.fm/reaplugs/ )
- DAW of your choice.
- OBS (as a streaming application)

Step 1: Receive input of the ZM1 into your DAW

As the first step we need to receive the input from the 19 channels of the ZM-1 to a track in the DAW, therefore connect the ZM-1 microphone, open your DAW and select the ZM-1 as your Audio device.

​Afterwards, create a track, change the number of channels from 2 to 20 and add the ZM-1 as a 20 channel input source.

By arming the track to record, you should now be receiving the 19 multichannel signal from the ZM-1 into your DAW.

For last, in the ReaStream plugin, remember to have your track armed and enable live monitoring.
To send the output for your streaming application, enable “send audio/MIDI” in the ReaStream plugin and select “local broadcast” from the dropdown list.

by Eduardo Patricio

Let’s talk about recording music!
This tutorial will address key points to help you improve your sound and get to a great demo with your ZYLIA MUSIC set. All you need is the ZM-1 mic, ZYLIA Studio application and your music.
 

Before going any further, the general tips / rules apply:

• Choose your song / piece of music well, based on your goals, target audience, and with awareness of the market you’re going in;
• Have it arranged and well rehearsed before recording;
• Choose a comfortable and quiet space for recording. 

​Ok, have said that, as usual, let’s break it down into steps: 

You can record in rooms with great or not-so-great acoustics.
Key things are:
 
A1 - Place the ZM-1 mic in a central position in the room;
A2 - Avoid standing near walls. This will help specially if your room doesn’t have great acoustics. 

​Once you have your recording you can adjust the volume of each instrument to get a better balance. You can also apply equalization to enhance desired or hide unwanted characteristics of each instrument.

EQ example

​If you record 2 guitars, say, with different functions (one focused on doing chords and the other more high-pitched patterns or solos), you can enhance the low end of the 1st and the high end of the 2nd one.

When you’re done with your mix, just export your demo and that’s it!

​To illustrate, here are 2 ZM-1 examples of ZM-1 recordings in completely different spaces, a martial arts practice room and in a church. Have a listen!

Recording done in a room with, err…, not-so-great acoustics

Recording done in a room with beautiful and style-matching acoustics

If you’d like to go further with mixing, you can either:
 

• Export the individual tracks of each instrument to bring them into a DAW
• Export the raw 19-channel file to import and mix them in a DAW, using ZYLIA Studio PRO plugin. 

Here are some related useful resources for you:
 
Tutorial: Recording an acoustic guitar with the ZM-1 mic
Tutorial: How to record classical music
ZYLIA Studio PRO DAW session templates
ZYLIA Studio PRO basics  
 

Let’s have a look at an easy way to get a music track done, from recording to mastering.  It’s quick tutorial time!

Alright, the main steps to take are: (A) recording, (B) mixing and (C) mastering. 

​Let’s breakdown main steps A and B in ZYLIA Studio (5 sub-steps): 

Note
In step 4 (Mix), for each instrument, you can define:

• Volume
• Panning
• Equalization

 
Once you’re happy with you mix, it’s time to export the resulting stereo file:

The 6th sub-step (the last one!) is submitting your track to be mastered by the folks at LANDR.com

by Eduardo Patricio

In general VR related workflows can be complex and everyone seems to be looking for standard solutions. Here, we will show you, step by step, how to prepare a 360 video with spatial audio in, possibly, the shortest way! 

Required gear:

• ZYLIA ZM-1 microphone array;
• A 360 camera (e.g. Insta 360 One X);
• A computer.

​After following steps A, B and C, you’ll have a video file with 1st order Ambisonics spatial audio that can be played on your computer with compatible video players (e.g. VLC) or uploaded to YouTube.

​Having said that, a small horizontal offset is not the end of the world 

With the gear in place, start recording both audio and video and clap in between the mic and the camera. The clap sound spike can be used to sync the footage later.

• Bring your files (the 19-channel audio from the ZM-1 and the video one from your camera) onto the DAW;
• Lower the video volume;
• Align the clap position;
• Trim the ends;
• Adjust the volume of the audio file;
• Add ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter Plugin to the audio track and adjust the settings;
• Change the master output to 4 channels;
• Render!

Here’s a video showing all the sub-steps in Reaper:

​Note
If you need to check how the recording sounds, add a binaural decoder plugin (e.g. IEM Binaural decoder) to the audio track, after ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter.
 

That’s it!
Now you can enjoy the spatial audio

• By playing it on your computer, using VLC player, for example (very few players will handle 360 video + Ambisonics correctly); or…
• By uploading it to YouTube. 

*Software tools used
​

Mounting:
https://www.amazon.com/Stage-MY550-Microphone-Extension-Attachment/dp/B0002ZO3LK/ref=sxbs_sxwds-stvp?keywords=microphone+clamp+arm&pd_rd_i=B0002ZO3LK&pd_rd_r=6860690f-2adc-4b00-a80e-de436939ed2b&pd_rd_w=GlE2J&pd_rd_wg=qrTTx&pf_rd_p=a6d018ad-f20b-46c9-8920-433972c7d9b7&pf_rd_r=GGS60M0DGQ5DQF44594V&qid=1575529629
 
https://www.amazon.com/Aluminum-Microphone-Swivel-Camera-Monitor/dp/B07Q2V6CBC/ref=sr_1_186?keywords=microphone+boom+clamp&qid=1575529342&sr=8-186

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Adjustable-Articulating-Mirrorless-Camcorders/dp/B07SV6NVDS/ref=sr_1_205?keywords=microphone+clamp+arm&qid=1575531393&sr=8-205
Allegro generic alternative for us to test: https://allegro.pl/oferta/ramie-przegubowe-11-magic-arm-do-kamery-8505530470
 

by Eduardo Patricio

Earlier this year (2019), during Easter, we recorded a string quintet concert* with 2 ZM-1 microphones. One in front of the ensemble and 1 behind it. Very simple and portable setup with powerful postproduction possibilities!

Here’s a quick example of the multi-track possibilities we have from the recordings:​

​Using ZM-1 microphones basically allows you to have multi-track recordings from single mics.
Here’s what we did for this project in 5 steps. 

1. We recorded the 19 channels from each ZM-1 directly onto DAW tracks on each laptop. The result was 2 uncompressed, 24-bit, 48KHz wave files.

2. After the recording, we loaded both multi-channel files onto a single DAW session, onto separate tracks. We synchronized the files manually using a clear transient sound (the classic "clap to sync").

3. We added ZYLIA Studio PRO plugin to the tracks containing the multi-channel files (one instance of the plugin for each). The plugin converts the recorded information into perfect sound spheres, from which you can extract sounds from any direction. 

4. We added virtual microphones, by clicking on the plus sign in the middle of the circle and defined their direction (in the horizontal and vertical planes) and polar patterns (width). Obs.: That means we basically set up a complex microphone arrangement after the recording, and one that can be tweaked or changed at any moment (!). 

NOTE: If you don’t know yet how to work with virtual microphones and ZYLIA Studio PRO, you can check the following additional resources:

• More detailed info on ZYLIA Studio PRO
• ZYLIA Studio PRO manual
• DAW templates for using ZYLIA Studio PRO
• How to configure ZYLIA Studio PRO session in Reaper 

4A. From the main microphone recordings, 7 virtual microphones were used as seen in the following screen capture:

​The virtual microphones Z1 – Z5 were narrow (shotgun-like) ones, pointing at each instrument and using S2 separation mode.
 
Z6 and Z7 form a wide stereo pair, pointing 45˚ up, to capture some of the overall sound and a great deal of reverberant sound.

4B. From the rear microphone recordings, 5 virtual microphones were used as seen in the following screen capture:

​Detailed configuration of each virtual microphone:
Z1: 0˚ azimuth, 33˚ elevation, 60˚ width;
Z2 and Z5 form a stereo pair with a sum of 90˚ azimuth, pointing up (-45˚ elevation), and with 60˚ width;
Z3 and Z4 form a stereo pair with a sum of 80˚ azimuth, pointing down (-51˚ elevation), and with 60˚ width.

5. We directed each virtual microphone to individual tracks in our DAW and carried on with a regular basic mixing strategy (leveling, panning and EQing). 

by Pedro Firmino

In this article, we will give you an alternative way of recording and coloring your guitar tone using the ZYLIA ZM-1 microphone by taking advantage of multiple channel recording.

At 25 cm distance, the results were quite flexible to work with, however, if you see clipping happening on the VU meter of ZYLIA Studio, reduce the gain on ZYLIA Control Panel or move the ZM-1 further from the sound source.

​Record your take and take some time to listen to the results. If you’re happy with the tone of the guitar you may proceed to mixing stage, if not here are some options for you:

- increasing distance of the ZM-1 and the guitar for more room tone and less presence.
- positioning ZM-1 closer to neck, giving you more treble and percussive sounds.
- positioning the ZM-1 closer to the soundhole, provides more lower end and less treble.
- using another channel of the ZM-1 recordings to add brighter tone to the mix.

This last option shows one of the great advantages of recording with the ZM-1, which it will be mentioned next.

Using ZYLIA Studio or ZYLIA Studio PRO, you are able to get different tones from your instrument with a single recording due to the multiple channels. It can also be useful if you want to add some reflections from the environment.
After Separating the take, try using the Auto-mix feature. The tone resulting of this feature might surprise you, but if that’s not the case you are always able to mix the tone by controlling the different channel parameters in the MIXER window.

Are you looking for more low end in your tone? Simply adjust the level of the channel correspondent to the microphone closer to the sound-hole of the guitar (In this example Musician 2).

Or perhaps you want more room tone and a wider stereo image of your recording? Increase the levels of the back microphones and apply panning (Musician 4 and 5).