Asbjoern Andersen


Working with sound for VR poses a new set of challenges in terms of positioning, levels and virtual acoustics - and to address those, Dear Reality's dearVR and Spatial Connect let you work with your sounds and mix, directly in VR and in your DAW.

Here's the story behind these fascinating tools for VR audio work, as told by sound engineer and co-founder Christian Sander:


Written by Adriane Kuzminski. Images courtesy of Dear Reality.
Please share:


dearVR SPATIAL CONNECT | The future of audio production for XR


 
Hello, Christian. Could you tell us a little about yourself and your company, Dear Reality?

Christian Sander (CS): Hi Adriane, I’m Christian Sander – Sound Engineer, Software Developer and Co-founder of Dear Reality. I have been working with VR/AR audio for over 7 years now. My Co-founder and partner Achim Fell is also a Sound Engineer and Game Designer. Our company has the mission to create exceptional 3D audio technology and virtual acoustics for audio professionals by delivering state-of-the-art tools for immersive audio content creation.

3 photos of men.

Left to Right: Achim Fell – CEO and Co-founder, Armin Ghazar Jazi – Lead Developer, and Christian Sander – CEO and Co-founder

 
Could you give us a quick overview of the dearVR 3D audio engine and Spatial Connect VST and what they’re capable of?

CS: The dearVR engine renders virtual sound sources to a binaural output as well as Ambisonics and loudspeaker formats with a high level of “out of head” localization and acoustics simulation. The plugin is available in all common DAWs formats (VST/AAX/AU) and it also comes as a Unity plugin. An audio middleware version for FMOD is still under development but very close to being finished. You can hear the plugin’s capabilities in this technical audio demonstration:



dearVR UNITY | Ultra-realistic acoustic virtualization


The dearVR Spatial Connect lets audio professionals like sound designers and sound engineers, and also musicians and composers, mix and create outstanding 3D audio content within VR/AR while keeping their existing workflows, tools and preferred DAWs.

 
What is the experience of mixing audio in VR like?

CS: I guess you’ll have to come to Düsseldorf and try it out yourself! If you use it for the first time, it feels like you are liberating yourself from the limitations of conventional audio tools when it comes to VR/AR. In the past we’ve spent a lot of time mixing 3D audio using only a mouse to align and mix audio VR elements, which was not only cumbersome and tedious but also quite frustrating.

The dearVR Spatial Connect workflow is actually simpler then you’d think: you open your DAW of choice, then import the audio files there as usual and add the spatializer plugin (dearVR pro for VST/AAX/AU) on each source. As soon as you want to start to work with positioning, leveling and acoustics selection, you start your dearVR Spatial Connect on your VR PC that connects to the dearVR plugins (we have an option that you can run the VR application on a separate rig as preferred by audio professionals). After this you put on your HMD device – for instance the Vive or Rift – and you are ready to mix! All your settings and automations are written in your DAW and you can export the mix to binaural, Ambisonics and Stereo or Multi-Channel formats.

 
And the settings you create in the VST can be saved and manipulated in your Unity mix?

We evaluate constantly with our partners in our beta test program to improve & perfect the workflow of various mixing scenarios

CS: Yes, all automations are recorded in the DAW and can be easily accessed at a later point. The first version of it is mostly suited for linear audio (360° video, binaural mixes, Ambisonics, linear parts of VR/AR experiences). The next version will give you access to mix interactive audio as well, which should enable the users to learn the tools step-by-step. This later version then will also include the transfer functionality to bring the mix to Unity, as shown in the video. This approach allows us to optimize & enhance the mixing process first and then extend the dearVR Spatial Connect with the Unity export functions. In addition, we evaluate constantly with our partners in our beta test program to improve & perfect the workflow of various mixing scenarios (linear, non-linear, 360°, VR/AR mixing, video games).

The dearVR audio engine interface for Unity.

 
Straight out of the box, what parameters can be controlled on game objects when mixing in VR?

CS: Currently we identified that the most important parameters for the users are position, level and virtual acoustics. There are more additional parameters which we’re still developing and testing.

 
You also have 45 impressive reverb presets, but are you planning to support convolution reverb or third-party impulse responses?

CS: We are looking into supporting third-party impulse responses in the future, but at the moment we’re focusing on fully optimized presets that sound great out of the box.

 
What separates dearVR from other VR/360 audio plugins by Valve, Facebook/Oculus, Aspic Tech, and G’Audio Lab?

CS: In past years, we got really amazing feedback and compliments which not only confirmed that our tools have a very intuitive workflow, but also approved the pristine audio quality of our audio engine especially when it comes to binaural spatialization, room simulation with its outstanding presets, and the Ambisonics output rendering. We are really proud that we can offer a very unique mixing workflow for our users which enables them to mix high-quality content in VR/AR (dearVR VST -> dearVR Spatial Connect -> dearVR Unity).


Popular on A Sound Effect right now - article continues below:


Trending right now:

  • Cinematic & Trailer Sound Effects Abandoned Oil Tank Play Track 327 sounds included $40

    On a recording trip to the smaller Danish port town Struer, I came across an abandoned empty oil tank. Inside I found two giant wires attached to the floor and the ceiling of the tank, almost like a huge 2 stringed double bass. I’m telling you the reverb in there was longer than the Eiffel Tower on a cloudless day !

    On the outside this was just an empty abandoned building, but it turned out it was not empty at all because it was full of sound and a few dead birds. I’m glad I was curious enough to go inside for a closer investigation and not just pass by.

    After several hours of concentrated recording, it was nice to get my ears back out in dry air. I’m happy there are no open sends to Valhalla in real life but experiencing the eternal resonance on the low frequencies from the wires was absolutely amazing.

    Abandoned Oil Tank was recorded with a LOM basic Ucho stereo pair, a Zoom H6 and the LOM Geofon. All files are in 96 kHz/24 bit and contain the original recordings.

    The result is a unique sound effect library including balloon pop impulse responses from a truly unique location that very recently became even more unique since word says that the oil tank is no more and has abandoned this world.

    327 individual sounds – all tagged with Universal Category System (UCS) metadata.

    www.katrineamsler.com

    20 %
    OFF
    Ends 1713131999
  • Electricity Sound Effects Polarity Play Track 975 sounds included $72

    Polarity delivers more than 950 sounds of electricity, science and technology – captured in several locations around the world, from electricity museums to science labs. About 50% of the library is all about electricity, with various types of Jacob’s Ladders, Tesla Coils, Ruhmkorff lamp and all sorts of impactful bursts of energy.

    Then we go through welders, plasma spheres, 3D printers, starting to cover a more broad technology theme – like old phones, telegraphs, dynamo wheels, rotary dials, whirling watchers, alarm, lab centrifuges, something scientists call a roller and a rocker, servo sounds, neon lights, a wimshurst machine and sparklers.

    Many sounds in this section were captured from vintage equipment, from a 1928’s tram to old telephone switchboards, high voltage levers and control surfaces.

    All content was recorded at 192KHz with a Sanken CO100K, a couple of Sennheiser 8040 and a Neumann 81i, translating into final assets that have plenty of ultrasonic content, ready for the most extreme manipulation.

    Bonus: Two extra libraries included for free:
    This library also includes two additional releases from Mattia Cellotto - for free: Crunch Mode delivers 230 crunchy sounds made with a variety of vegetables, fresh bread, pizza crust and a selection of frozen goods. The Borax Experiment gets you 158 squishy, gory, slimy and gooey sounds.
    20 %
    OFF
  • Trench Rammers is a one-of-a-kind sound library, created by sound designer Barney Oram. It features recordings of two 20th century Trench Rammers, some of the last operating machines of their kind in the world. The library features 48 files in total, capturing the Trench Rammers using a variety of microphones and perspectives, supplied in 192kHz 24bit WAV file format.

    This library contains multiple recordings of two antique Trench Rammers, the Pegson ER5 and the Warsop Benjo, and also features additional recordings of four antique stationary engines, the Amanco Hired Man (1920s), the JAP 1947, the Lister D (1940s) and the Norman T3000.

    Recorded in Leeds, UK, this library features multi-mic coverage and a range of distance positions captured on all included source content. Microphones used include; Sanken, Sennheiser, Neumann and DPA, captured with Sound Devices and Tascam recorders.

    This library includes detailed SoundMiner metadata and utilizes the UCS system for ease of integration into your library.

    Behind the Scenes Video:


    Trench Rammer


  • Kawaii UI Trailer

Latest releases:

  • Trench Rammers is a one-of-a-kind sound library, created by sound designer Barney Oram. It features recordings of two 20th century Trench Rammers, some of the last operating machines of their kind in the world. The library features 48 files in total, capturing the Trench Rammers using a variety of microphones and perspectives, supplied in 192kHz 24bit WAV file format.

    This library contains multiple recordings of two antique Trench Rammers, the Pegson ER5 and the Warsop Benjo, and also features additional recordings of four antique stationary engines, the Amanco Hired Man (1920s), the JAP 1947, the Lister D (1940s) and the Norman T3000.

    Recorded in Leeds, UK, this library features multi-mic coverage and a range of distance positions captured on all included source content. Microphones used include; Sanken, Sennheiser, Neumann and DPA, captured with Sound Devices and Tascam recorders.

    This library includes detailed SoundMiner metadata and utilizes the UCS system for ease of integration into your library.

    Behind the Scenes Video:


    Trench Rammer


  • The cozy natural rhythms of hums, scrapes, splashes and thuds soundtrack the pottery workshop where the earth meets art. Find the true sound of it with Vadi Sound Library.

     

    About Pottery Workshop

     

    84 sounds that are clean, subtle and capture pretty much every object and action of the magic of fire and earth.

    From the rhythmic hum of the spinning potter’s wheel, to the splash of water, the scrape of clay with the tools shaping and smoothing surfaces, listen up for the symphony of creation.

    You will hear the tapping and thud of ceramic pottery, wooden ribs, wire cutters, loop tools, and sponges, all kinds of rummage, and mud actions on the potter’s wheel. The clicking and whirring of mechanisms during firing cycles add a mechanical counterpoint to the workshop’s natural rhythms.

    You will get variations of sounds in different proximity, size, and style of action. This collection is handy due to the clarity and diversity of the raw sounds. They have both Foley and practical usability and room for further sound design.

    You will get intuitive, detailed naming, UCS compatibility and the usual Vadi Sound craft and attention to detail in 84 pristine sounds. Recorded in 24bit-96kHz.WAV format on our favorite Sennheiser MKH 8040 stereo pair and Zoom F6.

     

    Keywords

    Pottery, workshop, electric potter’s wheel, wheel, oven, heat gun, mud, clay, ceramic, glass, wooden, metal, cup, handle, push, pull, move, remove, shape, tap, shake, clank, level, lid, tool, organizer, toolbox, rummage, fiberboard, button, bucket, sponge, plate, Dremel.

     

    What else you may need

    You may also want to check out Drag & Slide for 477 sound files of dragging, sliding, scraping and friction sounds of different objects made of wood, plastic, metal on various surfaces. Our bestseller Crafting & Survival is another good choice to get access to 1000+ survival, gathering, movement and crafting sounds.

  • All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with Shure KSM 137, Line Audio Omni1, FEL Clippy XLR EM272, Sonorous Objects SO.3 and JrF C-Series Pro+ microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II & Zoom F3 recorders. Library contains wav files of driving, interior and exterior foley, mechanical and electrical sounds. It is also available in UCS.

  • Introducing Devils Bane Trailer, a chilling symphony of horror encapsulated in 533 meticulously crafted sound files, ready to unleash terror upon your audience. Dive into a nightmare realm where every creak, whisper, and shriek is meticulously designed to send shivers down your spine.

    • 533 files
    • 3.5 GB of game audio assets
    • All in 96k 24bit .wav
    • Dark Horror Movie Trailer Sound Effects Library
    17 %
    OFF
  • Birdsong from the countryside of the Swedish rural region of Värmland.

Need specific sound effects? Try a search below:


 
Along with FMOD compatibility, your website says you’re planning a version for UE4 and Wwise, too, though I’m assuming the VST version of Spatial Connect is still the number-one priority?

CS: Since we’ve received lots of requests for the dearVR Spatial Connect 360° version we decided to release this version first. As already mentioned earlier we will provide the full workflow from editing and playback in the DAW with the dearVR pro/music VST/AAX plugin. A positive side effect is that the dearVR Spatial Connect requires that the next generation dearVR engine and its development run parallel so they affect each other in a very positive way.

Although our tech is hardware agnostic, our partnership with Sennheiser empowered us also to provide a perfect end-to-end solution when it comes to recording, mixing and listening to 3D audio (e.g. AMBEO mic, dearVR, ASH headset).

dearVR spatial audio demos:



 
Could you tell us a little more about your partnership with Sennheiser? Are you supporting Sennheiser’s new initiatives like their AR demos on AMBEO headphones (which was fun to try out last GDC)?

CS: Yes, we are very happy that our cooperation with Sennheiser allows us to support Sennheiser’s hardware in the best way possible. For instance, we showcased an AR demo with the ASH system (AMBEO headphones for capturing, adding virtual sound sources and listening) at SXSW with our dearVR Unity plugin, which not only sounded great but also worked flawlessly!

Having (Sennheiser) as our investor helps us to create outstanding products and offers our customers a complete hardware and software solution for all audio scenarios.

We officially partnered with them early this year and we are absolutely amazed to have an experienced strategic partner with such a strong and powerful history when it comes to audio. Having them as our investor helps us to create outstanding products and offers our customers a complete hardware and software solution for all audio scenarios. As an independent company we’re in full control over what we develop but we’re very fortunate to learn from their experience with over 70 years of audio history!

A virtual controller raycasts a reverb zone on a spaceship in Unity.

 
So then how did Dear Reality come to be? When did you and Achim meet?

CS: I was studying sound engineering at the Robert-Schumann Conservatory in Düsseldorf, and I developed a 3D audio renderer for iOS (rendering up to 27 3D audio sources on an iPhone 4S) as my diploma thesis. My AES paper which I presented at the AES in San Francisco in 2012 got into Achim’s hands as he was looking for a 3D audio mobile solution for his Master of Game Design Thesis at the Cologne Game Lab. Achim then found out that this AES paper being presented in San Francisco was actually written by a guy living only a few kilometers away. We decided to bring my 3D audio engine to Unity to create a 3D audio mobile game for the biggest German radio station (Westdeutscher Rundfunk) that went phenomenally well (over 100,000 downloads). In 2014 we founded Dear Reality to create 3D audio technology and tools – by content creators for content creators. And that’s what we’ve been doing since! :-)

 
That’s fascinating that the person Achim was looking for was just right around the corner. Was the game you developed 39?

CS: Yes, 39 – WDR HörSpiel. It’s in German-only, but here is a clip of the audio capture without visuals of the app. It’s from the dearVR engine from 2014… so a lot has happened since then.

By the way, a lot of German organizations for blind and visually impaired people were very interested in the 39 app, but that might be probably another story for a second interview!

 
You know how much I like to talk about game accessibility ;). But it’s interesting to note how 3D audio engines like dearVR can make games not only more immersive, they can also portray subtle positional informational for people who rely on audio to understand their surroundings. But yes, for another interview…

As far as your personal career, it’s interesting that you’ve gone back and forth between audio production and software engineering. How did you decide to make these transitions?

CS: I was always fascinated by audio and software engineering and recent developments in the last 20 years made the two topics come even closer together, so it just felt natural for me to grow in and learn from both.

We decided to focus completely on software and work closely with production companies to build great tools suited for their needs.

For example: although we had already released the dearVR Unity plugin, we still did VR sound design projects for e.g. Deutsche Telekom during that time. That gave us pretty good insights of what was required from audio developers and sound designers to work in VR. That’s how we realized that there was a huge demand for a tool like the dearVR Spatial Connect. At that point we decided to focus completely on software and work closely with production companies to build great tools suited for their needs.

The reverb presets are shown in the Spatial Connect VST.

 
What companies and studios currently use dearVR?

CS: The dearVR pro/music and dearVR Unity plugins are used by a lot of companies worldwide, from small independent studios starting in spatial audio to big audio production companies, AAA game studios & well-known recording studios and public broadcasting institutions. You can check out very positive quotes from audio producers in the music biz on e.g. our Plugin Alliance store page.

 
Those are some shining reviews! Now, other than the recent AES convention in Milan, will you be showing dearVR at any other conferences or trade shows coming up?

CS: Sure, we’re planning to attend IBC Amsterdam, Tonmeister Konferenz Cologne, and last but not least AES New York this year. If you won’t be able to make it to the conventions I’m sure there will be further chances to try it out yourself! We will also soon open our portal for applications for the next closed beta program.

 
…Is that an open invite to readers who are interested in beta testing? ;)

We encourage everyone in 360°, sound design, music, and game audio to apply for the program

CS: Yes, the dearVR Spatial Connect beta program hasn’t started yet, but we encourage everyone in 360°, sound design, music, and game audio to apply for the program. Anyone interested in the program can contact us with a brief description about their work. They can also stay up to date with our newsletter on our website and Facebook page.
 

A big thanks to Christian Sanders for giving us a look at the dearVR audio engine and dearVR Spatial Connect VST – and to Adriane Kuzminski for the interview! Find out more about Dear Reality on Twitter here, and on Instagram here.

 

Please share this:


 



 
 
THE WORLD’S EASIEST WAY TO GET INDEPENDENT SOUND EFFECTS:
 
A Sound Effect gives you easy access to an absolutely huge sound effects catalog from a myriad of independent sound creators, all covered by one license agreement - a few highlights:

  • Metal Sound Effects MetalMotion Play Track 2000+ sounds included, 239 mins total $110

    MetalMotion is a sound design construction kit that contains four hours of moving metal mayhem: clicks and clanks, rolls and drags, wronks and squeals, scrapes and rattles, ranging from from tiny to monstrous. Nathan Moody’s unique performances with unusual combinations of props produce everything from Foley-like movements to intense groans and howls.

    Whether you’re covering a robot’s movements, sweetening weapon Foley, making crafting or pick-up sounds in a game, placing unusual layers beneath a kaiju’s roar, or crushing a submarine with undersea pressure, this collection covers the full range of subtle to raucous. Each file has many performance variations for creative choice and game audio asset creation.

    While there are some tasty impacts within, this library’s true focus is on characterful movements: handling, rummaging, opens, closes, ratchets, swirls, rolls, drags, drops, spins, rubs, zuzzes, and bows. Metal containers, filing cabinets, modern appliances, vintage (and very rusty) tools, cymbals, bells, grills, plates, bars, rods, and tubes, and many other props lent their voices to this collection.

    This UCS-compliant library was recorded with a combination of standard, contact, and ultrasonic-capable microphones through Millennia preamps. Sample rates vary based on the amount of ultrasonic content in each file. The audio files are mastered for realism, ready for extreme processing and pitch shifting of your own, but still useful in more grounded contexts.

  • Kawaii UI Trailer
  • Ice Sound Effects Ultrasonic Dry Ice Play Track 635+ sounds included, 71 mins total $38.40

    Ultrasonic Dry Ice is a library containing over 600 sounds themed metal resonances, scrapes and all sorts of weird.
    All the content has been recorded at 192KHz with a Sanken CO100K, a couple of Sennheiser MKH8040 and a MKH416.
    The resulting ultrasonic spectrum is rich and allows for truly extreme manipulation of the content.

    Bonus: Two extra libraries included for free:
    This library also includes two additional releases from Mattia Cellotto - for free: Crunch Mode delivers 230 crunchy sounds made with a variety of vegetables, fresh bread, pizza crust and a selection of frozen goods. The Borax Experiment gets you 158 squishy, gory, slimy and gooey sounds.
    20 %
    OFF
    Ends 1712872800
Explore the full, unique collection here

Latest sound effects libraries:
 
  • Trench Rammers is a one-of-a-kind sound library, created by sound designer Barney Oram. It features recordings of two 20th century Trench Rammers, some of the last operating machines of their kind in the world. The library features 48 files in total, capturing the Trench Rammers using a variety of microphones and perspectives, supplied in 192kHz 24bit WAV file format.

    This library contains multiple recordings of two antique Trench Rammers, the Pegson ER5 and the Warsop Benjo, and also features additional recordings of four antique stationary engines, the Amanco Hired Man (1920s), the JAP 1947, the Lister D (1940s) and the Norman T3000.

    Recorded in Leeds, UK, this library features multi-mic coverage and a range of distance positions captured on all included source content. Microphones used include; Sanken, Sennheiser, Neumann and DPA, captured with Sound Devices and Tascam recorders.

    This library includes detailed SoundMiner metadata and utilizes the UCS system for ease of integration into your library.

    Behind the Scenes Video:


    Trench Rammer


  • The cozy natural rhythms of hums, scrapes, splashes and thuds soundtrack the pottery workshop where the earth meets art. Find the true sound of it with Vadi Sound Library.

     

    About Pottery Workshop

     

    84 sounds that are clean, subtle and capture pretty much every object and action of the magic of fire and earth.

    From the rhythmic hum of the spinning potter’s wheel, to the splash of water, the scrape of clay with the tools shaping and smoothing surfaces, listen up for the symphony of creation.

    You will hear the tapping and thud of ceramic pottery, wooden ribs, wire cutters, loop tools, and sponges, all kinds of rummage, and mud actions on the potter’s wheel. The clicking and whirring of mechanisms during firing cycles add a mechanical counterpoint to the workshop’s natural rhythms.

    You will get variations of sounds in different proximity, size, and style of action. This collection is handy due to the clarity and diversity of the raw sounds. They have both Foley and practical usability and room for further sound design.

    You will get intuitive, detailed naming, UCS compatibility and the usual Vadi Sound craft and attention to detail in 84 pristine sounds. Recorded in 24bit-96kHz.WAV format on our favorite Sennheiser MKH 8040 stereo pair and Zoom F6.

     

    Keywords

    Pottery, workshop, electric potter’s wheel, wheel, oven, heat gun, mud, clay, ceramic, glass, wooden, metal, cup, handle, push, pull, move, remove, shape, tap, shake, clank, level, lid, tool, organizer, toolbox, rummage, fiberboard, button, bucket, sponge, plate, Dremel.

     

    What else you may need

    You may also want to check out Drag & Slide for 477 sound files of dragging, sliding, scraping and friction sounds of different objects made of wood, plastic, metal on various surfaces. Our bestseller Crafting & Survival is another good choice to get access to 1000+ survival, gathering, movement and crafting sounds.

  • All files are recorded 32bit, 192 kHz, with Shure KSM 137, Line Audio Omni1, FEL Clippy XLR EM272, Sonorous Objects SO.3 and JrF C-Series Pro+ microphones, Sound Devices MixPre-6 II & Zoom F3 recorders. Library contains wav files of driving, interior and exterior foley, mechanical and electrical sounds. It is also available in UCS.

  • Introducing Devils Bane Trailer, a chilling symphony of horror encapsulated in 533 meticulously crafted sound files, ready to unleash terror upon your audience. Dive into a nightmare realm where every creak, whisper, and shriek is meticulously designed to send shivers down your spine.

    • 533 files
    • 3.5 GB of game audio assets
    • All in 96k 24bit .wav
    • Dark Horror Movie Trailer Sound Effects Library
    17 %
    OFF
  • Birdsong from the countryside of the Swedish rural region of Värmland.


   

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

HTML tags are not allowed.