SPARTA

ProTools compatability

AAX versions of the plugins can be loaded in ProTools. They can all be found under the “Sound Field” category in the ProTools “Mix” window, and should be added as a “multichannel plugin”.

Note that capatability is generally high. The plugins that receive the grade of mostly supported, or having limited support, receive these grades largely because of the more restricted multichannel “Track” options in ProTools (when compared to e.g. REAPER). However, it is possible that many users won’t encounter these restrictions for their specific use cases. Note that there are also workarounds that can (at least partially) restore some plugin channel layout flexibility, which are described below. In cases where these restrictions prohibit the propper functioning of the plugin, the affected plugin will be marked as not supported.

It is also highlighted that certain ProTools multichannel bus options will re-order the channels! For example, if inserting a plugin with an output configuration of 7.0.6, which has a loudspeaker ordering of [L R C Lss Rss Lsr Rsr Ltf Rtf Ltm Rtm Ltr Rtr], channels 1 through 13, as shown in SPARTA, will be re-orderd by ProTools with the following indices: [1 2 3 4 5 10 11 6 7 12 13 8 9]. SPARTA does, however, automatically account for this, by re-arranging the “ProTools 7.0.6” output configuration preset to be [L R C Lss Rss Ltm Rtm Lsr Rsr Ltr Rtr Ltf Ltr] for channels 1 through 13. This is also why the “ProTools 7.0.6” input configuration preset (in e.g. sparta_ambiENC) is ordered differently to the “ProTools 7.0.6” output configuration preset (in e.g. sparta_ambiDEC). If the plugin configuration and bus insert configurations match, then this should not be an issue. However, we believe that users should be made aware of this particular ProTools quirk, and should also double check their loudspeaker channel routing using e.g. sparta_panner, before working with the plugins. If the channel ordering is somehow different, (for example, if the user has configured a custom layout via Setup->I/O), then the user can “export” and “import” loudspeaker configuration .json files via the interface of the relavant SPARTA plugins.

Note that nearly all of the compatability issues described below would be resolved if ProTools is updated to support “discrete” arbitrary 1-64 (or 1-128) channel “Tracks”. The remaining compatability issues will be gradually addressed through future plugin patches, and the below list will be updated periodically.

Please file a GitHub issue, if you encounter a problem/limitation not described below.

All testing is currently conducted in ProTools (Developer) version 25.6.0.

SPARTA

  • sparta_ambiBIN - fully supported when added as a e.g. “(5th Order Ambisonics/Stereo)” insert on an Ambisonics “Track”. The only limitation is that 8th order (and higher) Tracks are not supported in ProTools.
  • sparta_ambiDEC - mostly supported. Works only with multichannel output formats that ProTools supports. If the plugin is added as a e.g. “(5th order Ambisonics/7.0.6)” insert, then the user must also set the playback configuration to “ProTools 7.0.6” in the plugin. LFE channels are not rendered by the plugin. If the plugin is added as a e.g. “(5th order Ambisonics/5.1)” insert, then the following warning message is displayed in the top right of the plugin interface: “LFE channels are not supported by this plugin”.
  • sparta_ambiDRC - fully supported when added as a e.g. “(5th Order Ambisonics)” insert on an Ambisonics “Track”. The only limitation is that 8th order (and higher) Tracks are not supported in ProTools.
  • sparta_ambiENC - mostly supported. Works only with multichannel input formats that ProTools supports. If the plugin is added as a e.g. “(5.0/5th order Ambisonics)” insert, then the user must also set the input configuration to “ProTools 5.0” in the plugin. LFE channels are not rendered by the plugin. If the plugin is added as a e.g. “(5.1/5th order Ambisonics)” insert, then the following warning message is displayed in the top right of the plugin interface: “LFE channels are not supported by this plugin”.
  • sparta_ambiRoomSim - mostly supported. The main limitation is that this plugin supports outputting multiple Ambisonic receiver simulations (stacked ontop of eachother, e.g. output channels 1-16 corresponding to the first third-order receiver, and channels 17-32 corresponding to the second third-order receiver). However, ProTools can only be configured to output the Ambisonics signals of a single receiver.
  • sparta_array2SH - limited support. Due to ProTools requiring specific fixed input/output channel configurations, the user will need to work around this limitation. For example, if the user wishes to encode a tetrahedral microphone array recording into 1st order ambisonics, then they can add the plugin as a e.g. “(Quad/1st order Ambisonics)” insert. Support for higher-order Ambisonic arrays is more challenging. For example a Zylia array (19 channels) or Eigenmike (32 channels) recording will need to have extra (zero) channels appended to them, in order to fit onto e.g. 4th order or 5th order Ambisonics “Tracks”, respectively. However, if the user e.g. uses a 7.0.6 bus for encoding a 12 channel microphone array recording, note that ProTools re-orders the channels! and so the user must be very careful.
  • sparta_beamformer - mostly supported. Works only with multichannel output formats that ProTools supports.
  • sparta_binauraliser - mostly supported. Works only with multichannel input formats that ProTools supports. If the plugin is added as a e.g. “(5.0/Stereo)” insert, then the user must also set the input configuration to “ProTools 5.0” in the plugin. LFE channels are not rendered by the plugin. If the plugin is added as a e.g. “(5.1/Stereo)” insert, then the following warning message is displayed in the top right of the plugin interface: “LFE channels are not supported by this plugin”.
  • sparta_binauraliser_nf - mostly supported. Same notes as for sparta_binauraliser.
  • sparta_decorrelator - fully supported, since it applies the same processing for each channel independently. The only limitation is that channel counts more than 64 are not supported in ProTools.
  • sparta_dirass - fully supported when added as a e.g. “(5th Order Ambisonics)” insert on an Ambisonics “Track”.
  • sparta_matrixConv - limited support. Due to ProTools requiring specific fixed input/output channel configurations, the user will likely need to try and work around this limitation for most intended applications of the plugin.
  • sparta_multiConv - limited support. Same notes as sparta_matrixConv.
  • sparta_6DoFConv - limited support. Same notes as sparta_matrixConv.
  • sparta_pitchShifter - fully supported, since it applies the same processing for each channel independently. The only limitation is that channel counts more than 64 are not supported in ProTools.
  • sparta_powermap - fully supported when added as a e.g. “(5th Order Ambisonics)” insert on an Ambisonics “Track”.
  • sparta_rotator - fully supported when added as a e.g. “(5th Order Ambisonics)” insert on an Ambisonics “Track”.
  • sparta_sldoa - fully supported when added as a e.g. “(5th Order Ambisonics)” insert on an Ambisonics “Track”.
  • sparta_spreader - mostly supported. Works only with multichannel output formats that ProTools supports.
  • sparta_trackerTest - not supported. Distributed only as VST and for Windows due to its OptiTrack dependencies.

COMPASS

  • compass_6DoF - not supported. It produces the following cryptic error message on the second+ start-up: “Could not complete your request because Assertion in “/Users/autobld/gitlabci/PT3PDEV/ProTools/App/PtApp/PtApp_AuditionMgr.cpp”, line 2557.” Otherwise not supported anyway since it requires two (or more) Ambisonic busses to be stacked ontop of each other (e.g. inputs 1-9 corresponding to first 2nd order receiver, and inputs 10-18 corresponding to the second 2nd order receiver). However, no such busses (or workarounds) exist in ProTools.
  • compass_binaural - fully supported when added as a e.g. “(3rd Order Ambisonics/Stereo)” insert on an Ambisonics “Track”.
  • compass_binauralVR - mostly supported when added as a e.g. “(3rd Order Ambisonics/Stereo)” insert on an Ambisonics “Track”. To support two simultaneous listeners, the plugin can be added as “(3rd Order Ambisonics/Quad)”. However, for three or four listeners, there are no suitable 6 or 8 channel busses that do not also re-order the channels.
  • compass_decoder - mostly supported. Works only with multichannel output formats that ProTools supports. If the plugin is added as a e.g. “(1st order Ambisonics/7.0.6)” insert, then the user must also set the playback configuration to “ProTools 7.0.6” in the plugin. LFE channels are not rendered by the plugin. If the plugin is added as a e.g. “(1st order Ambisonics/5.1)” insert, then the following warning message is displayed in the top right of the plugin interface: “LFE channels are not supported by this plugin”.
  • compass_gravitator - fully supported when added as a e.g. “(3rd Order Ambisonics)” insert on an Ambisonics “Track”.
  • compass_sidechain - not supported. Requires two Ambisonic busses to be stacked ontop of each other (e.g. inputs 1-16 corresponding to first 3rd order scene, and inputs 17-32 corresponding to the second 3rd order scene). However, no such busses (or workarounds) exist in ProTools.
  • compass_spatedit - limited support. Requires two instances, one with Ambisonics input and a variable number of output channels, and the other with a variable number of input channels and Ambisonics output. The number of tracked objects therefore needs to be capped to 1-4.
  • compass_tracker - not supported. It produces the following cryptic error message on the second+ start-up: “Could not complete your request because Assertion in “/Users/autobld/gitlabci/PT3PDEV/ProTools/App/PtApp/PtApp_AuditionMgr.cpp”, line 2557.”. Otherwise works well when added as a e.g. “(3rd Order Ambisonics/Stereo)” insert, when outputting binauralised beamformers, or as a e.g. “(3rd Order Ambisonics)” insert if not steering any beamformers. However, if steering beamformers and not binauralising them, then the number of tracked objects is capped to 1-4 (Mono, Stereo, LRC, Quad), or will risk being re-ordered by ProTools.
  • compass_upmixer - not supported. It produces the following cryptic error message on the second+ start-up: “Could not complete your request because Assertion in “/Users/autobld/gitlabci/PT3PDEV/ProTools/App/PtApp/PtApp_AuditionMgr.cpp”, line 2557.”. Otherwise works well when added as a e.g. “(1st Order Ambisonics/3rd order Ambisonics)” insert.

HO-DirAC

  • hodirac_binaural - not supported. It produces the following cryptic error message on the second+ start-up: “Could not complete your request because Assertion in “/Users/autobld/gitlabci/PT3PDEV/ProTools/App/PtApp/PtApp_AuditionMgr.cpp”, line 2557.”. Otherwise, fully supported when added as a e.g. “(3rd Order Ambisonics/Stereo)” insert on an Ambisonics “Track”.
  • hodirac_decoder - not supported. It produces the following cryptic error message on the second+ start-up: “Could not complete your request because Assertion in “/Users/autobld/gitlabci/PT3PDEV/ProTools/App/PtApp/PtApp_AuditionMgr.cpp”, line 2557.”.. Otherwise mostly supported. Works only with multichannel output formats that ProTools supports. If the plugin is added as a e.g. “(1st order Ambisonics/7.0.6)” insert, then the user must also set the playback configuration to “ProTools 7.0.6” in the plugin. LFE channels are not rendered by the plugin. If the plugin is added as a e.g. “(1st order Ambisonics/5.1)” insert, then the following warning message is displayed in the top right of the plugin interface: “LFE channels are not supported by this plugin”.
  • hodirac_upmixer - not supported. It produces the following cryptic error message on the second+ start-up: “Could not complete your request because Assertion in “/Users/autobld/gitlabci/PT3PDEV/ProTools/App/PtApp/PtApp_AuditionMgr.cpp”, line 2557.”. Otherwise works well when added as a e.g. “(1st Order Ambisonics/3rd order Ambisonics)” insert.

Other

  • cropac_binaural - fully supported when added as a e.g. “(1st Order Ambisonics/Stereo)” insert on an Ambisonics “Track”.
  • hades_renderer - mostly supported. However, it depends on the number of microphones in the array. Note that 2-4 microphone array recordings (loaded onto a Stereo, LRC, or Quad input channel bus, with stereo output) are safe, since they are not re-ordered by ProTools. However, higher-channel count microphone arrays require care, in order to make sure ProTools does not re-order the channels.
  • HOSIRR - fully supported, since it’s more of a standalone application. It doesn’t process audio, so the bus configuration does not matter.
  • UltrasonicSuperHearing - not supported. It produces the following cryptic error message on the second+ start-up: “Could not complete your request because Assertion in “/Users/autobld/gitlabci/PT3PDEV/ProTools/App/PtApp/PtApp_AuditionMgr.cpp”, line 2557.”. Otherwise, there is no suitable channel configuration for this plugin in ProTools.

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