FAQ
Answers to frequently asked questions.
Which DAW do you recommend for these plug-ins?
REAPER > MaxMSP = Plogue Bidule > Other.
Make sure you are using REAPER version 7 or higher, if you want to use up to 128 channels. Otherwise, the limit is 64.
What does this slider/button/drop-down menu do?
The vast majority of sliders, toggle buttons, and drop-down menus have detailed tooltips. Hover your mouse over a parameter for a few moments, and its tooltip will appear alongside it.
Can I use the plug-ins for commercial purposes?
All of the plug-ins in the SPARTA suite, COMPASS suite, the HO-SIRR application and the CroPaC-Binaural may be used for commercial purposes.
Their source code may also be used for commercial purposes, provided that you follow the terms of the employed license. For example, for GPLv3 licensed code, commercial use is only possible if the derived works are also open-source and provided under the terms of the same GPLv3 license.
The exception to the above is with the HO-DirAC suite, which can only be used for academic, personal, and/or non-commerical use. For more information, please refer to the full license terms for the HO-DirAC plug-ins.
Why are the VST3 versions of the plugins limited to 24 or 64 channels?
This is a known issue with the VST3 SDK, and is why we recommened that you use either the VST or LV2 versions of the plugins instead.
For more information regarding the issue, please refer to the following Steinberg forum posts and GitHub issues:
- https://sdk.steinberg.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=549 (18 April 2018)
- https://sdk.steinberg.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6249 (6 December 2018)
- https://github.com/steinbergmedia/vst3sdk/issues/28 (17 January 2019)
- https://github.com/leomccormack/SPARTA/issues/28 (6 March 2021)
Why are there no AAX versions of the plug-ins?
Building AAX versions of the plugins is indeed possible. However, unfortunately, Avid does not support open-source projects.
Where can I learn more about Ambisonics?
For newcomers to the field, we recommend starting with this book, which is free to download and covers Ambisonics from a practical point-of-view.
Are there any online communites where I can discuss topics related to spatial audio?
There a number of active Facebook groups, with some of the more popular ones including:
Outside of these Facebook groups, there is also the SurSound mailing list.