VA Mixing Session

Starting this session, the aim of integrating VA rendering into a post-production mixing workflow was the focus of research. Going into this session, it was focused on gaining an understanding for how this encoding process may integrate alongside mixing to create immersive sound from mono / stereo stems in a typical stereo mix session.

Following the previous sessions of iterative work to determine spectral characteristics of placement, compatibility with ambisonic source placements as well as impact of material.
As a first test to also determine what creative application can also be attributed to the implementation process when in the context of mixing arrangement and composition, the process of mixing and VA rendering took place alongside the track arrangement / composition.

First regarding the parallel processing of VA in a mixing context, utilising the engine alongside a DAW is practical and swift in operation, yet comparative to using analogue processing equipment in that it takes real-time durations to render / bounce audio. This makes for a processing workflow that ensures monitoring during recording, whilst the adaptability on the fly of parameters within the VAS makes alterations and additional rendering manageable. With blackhole routing the two software workstations together, audio can be easily sent from one to the another in a timely series of steps from exporting audio to reimporting via recording the VAS render.

Beginning with producing the stems for the composition, sections were then picked for VA processing which included piano / strings / synths / brass :

Piano https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xfm6JBEqjKVHr3EWjtCctn_rm6EZHY7F/view?usp=share_link

Strings https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x2pcmjh8aPy7v-I6b0OknNG2lxvDg01W/view?usp=share_link

Synths https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QXIhUXL3Vk2Q0jVzQNz853q6gJmH5rI4/view?usp=share_link

Brass https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XGR8cu0HbiVsby0Y3ziEYWH5rSvHdqHk/view?usp=share_link

These then were mixed into the final track, making for a combination of VA encoded audio along with stereo recordings and samples. The varying depth and additional width with the encoded audio makes for a full stereo timbre, the mid-range is defined spatially and can be perceived as wrapping around the near field stereo samples making up the beat in the final version (Track 1). Overall tone of the piano could be improved, however the emphasis on it’s reverberant qualities highlights the reflection cues present in the VA recording. Overall the additions of VA provide a difference in spectral qualities which accumulate to a lively reverberant dynamic range across the stereo field being panoramic.