Eclipsa Audio Element Plugin: Simple 3D Audio Panning

Simple 3D Audio Panning

The Eclipsa Audio Element Plugin provides a 3D Audio Panning feature which allows for simplistic audio panning. This feature is meant to help those who are looking for a simplified panning experience or are unfamiliar with the panning tools offered by the DAW.

Note: Simple 3D Audio Panning pans a single mono track to the selected audio element's speaker layout. If a track has more than one channel, only the first channel is panned, typically the Left speaker.

How to Use the 3D Audio Panning

1. Add the Eclipsa Audio Element Plugin to the track you wish to pan

• Open your session and select the audio track to be panned.

• Insert and configure the Eclipsa Audio Element plugin as detailed in Eclipsa Audio Element Plugin Features

2. Enable the panning controls and configure panned audio

• Enable the panning controls by clicking the "Panning Controls" toggle in the top right corner

• Ensure the that Eclipsa Audio Element Plugin's Output Mode is "Panning Mode"

• Ensure the correct audio is being panned:

  • The Simple 3D Audio Panning only takes audio from the first channel on a track. On non-mono tracks, this is typically the Left speaker.

  • If this is not the audio you wish to pan, use an external down-mixer, external panner, or routing controls to ensure the correct audio is on the first channel of the track.

2. Adjust the X, Y, and Z Coordinates:

• Once the panning controls are active, a control panel will be displayed with options to adjust the X (left-right), Y (front-back), and Z (up-down) coordinates of your sound element in 3D space.

• The Audio Element Plugin interface provides a 3D space view that visually shows where your audio playback is located in 3D space. By default, audio is placed at (0,0,0)

• A blue dot indicates where in 3D space your track has been placed

  
• X Coordinate: Controls the left-right position of your sound object within the 3D space.

• Y Coordinate: Adjusts the depth or front-back placement, bringing sounds closer or moving them farther away.

• Z Coordinate: Alters the height of the sound object, allowing you to place it above or below the listener’s perspective.

• As you make adjustments, the audio element’s position will update in real-time.

• For example:

  • Moving the X to the right increases its loudness on the right side as shown below.

  • Moving X to the left will make it louder on the left side.

  • Similarly, adjusting the Y and Z coordinates will shift the audio’s depth and height, allowing you to create realistic and dynamic audio movements.

    

    

Using the Roof Feature

The Roof feature provides additional control for moving sound objects vertically within a roof-like 3D structure, enhancing spatial realism for overhead sounds or rising/falling effects.

Enabling and Using the Roof Feature

• In the Audio Element Plugin interface, locate the option to enable the Roof feature, located below the room view. Note that a variety of different roof shapes are provided (e.g., Tent, Dome, Curved, Flat).

• Once activated, the selected roof structure will appear in the 3D visualizer as shown below and the Z-coordinate dial will become disabled.

• Adjusting the X coordinate (left-right movement) and Y coordinate (front-back movement) will now also influence the Z coordinate in order to ensure the audio object follows the selected roof.

• As you move the object closer to the listener (increase Y) or farther away (decrease Y), the object will slide along the roof. The Z-value will automatically be computed to keep the panned object moving along the roof.

• The visualizer will display the height changes in real time, helping you better understand how the audio element moves both horizontally and vertically within the space.

When to Use the Roof Feature

• Use this feature to more precisely place sound elements or for sound elements that need dynamic vertical movement, such as overhead sounds or sound effects that rise or fall within the 3D environment.

• See Automated Panning to better understand how to move sound elements over time using the Eclipsa Audio Element plugin.

Disabling the Roof Feature

• If you do not need height adjustments, you can turn off the roof feature by toggling the feature off. The Z value will remain fixed unless manually adjusted.

Monitoring Playback and Loudness

• The Eclipsa Audio Element Plugin provides speaker monitoring information showing the individual loudness of each speaker as well as loudness when played back to binaural headphones.

• Individual speakers can be soloed/muted as needed to better understand track playback.

• Loudness Standard information is also provided in the top right corner for determining the exact loudness of the panned track.

• Use this visual feedback to ensure that your sounds are the correct volume on the track.

• To more accurately understand how multiple tracks are placed in 3D, the Eclipsa Audio Renderer Plugin Room View can display the locations of all panned tracks by enabling the "Tracks" view