Audio forms an important and oft-neglected part of the immersive experience. The audio experience isn’t just about music, it also covers sound effects, dialogue and background sounds that from a vital part of creating an atmosphere. InstaVR have recognised the need for more support for immersive audio, so have launched Spatial Audio Support.
Spatial Audio allows sounds to be presented to the virtual reality (VR) viewer that are both inside and outside their field of view. This allows for the developers to draw the users attention to a particular area or object using a directional sound cue.
The spatial audio feature has already been used by some professionals, such as Steven Poe, a VR Producer for Mandala Health, a company that produces healthcare treatment for pain management and psychology. Poe said: “The soundscape is more than 50% of the brain’s transference. We hear sound faster and more accurately than we see. Unfortunately the ability to playback spatial audio has been lagging compared to advancements in 360 video,” noted Poe. “InstaVR solved that by allowing VR Producers to upload spatial audio files once and deliver across all the popular VR viewing platforms.”
“We’re very proud that our clients can now incorporate spatial audio into their VR experiences,” said Daniel Haga, Founder and President of InstaVR. “Our goal has always been to empower clients to create the most immersive, engaging, and awe-inspiring virtual reality. Supporting spatial audio gives our most savvy clients the opportunity to do just that.”
Further information on Spatial Audio can be found at the InstaVR website.
Last year InstaVR secured $2 million USD in a funding round led by The VR Fund to build its web-based solution for the authoring of 360-degree VR apps. This February the company announced the software would support HTC Vive, with Japanese firm Toyota being among the first to utilise the new option.
VRFocus will bring you further news on Spatial Audio and other developments in immersive audio as it becomes available.
