Folk band "Auli" album "Visapkart" mixed in Dolby Atmos. One of the first Dolby Atmos folk albums created in Latvia 2020
On 18th of March 2021 AES Baltic Section members meet online to discuss multi speaker systems. Famous Latvian acoustician Arturs Perkons opened meeting with presentation about important steps in the history of multi-channel systems, various approaches to speaker setup, hearing considerations and room response (acoustic considerations).
After that Latvian sound engineer Kaspars Barbals presented his bedroom 7.2 surround system and setup of his atmos studio where he recently finished folk bands "Auli" album "Visapkart" that is mixed for Dolby atmos. We discussed that although there are growing number of dolby atmos systems in Baltic states, they are not certified and for dolby mixers it would be beneficial if there would be one certified studio where all mixes could be checked and certified.
German audio specialist and creator of "ambiX" plugins Matthias Kronlachner gave speech about his experience with ambisonic sound and his projects. His main presentation topics where about awareness why to do spatialisation, difference between channel-based VS ambisonics, signal flow of ambisonics, listening with headphones, microphone array recordings, Reaper multichannel flexibility and ended presentation with interesting live spatial audio concert that was streamed in binaural live-stream.
Lithuanian assoc. prof. Mantautas Krukauskas talked about Lithuanian Music Innovation Studies Centre, that is a part of Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LAMT) where ambisonic system is installed and together with students many projects are made. Ambisonics mix room can accommodate up to 40 people and mostly is used for creation of spatial sound. Matthias Kronlachner actually participated in creation of ambisonics in innovation centre as he was in student exchange programme there between 2011- 2014, after that Mantautas Krukauskas have organised many ambisonic workshops and projects on his own and together with students. Some of these projects were Vilnius University Observatory Project (2013) where Matthias Kronlachner's VST plugins were used first time "in the field", European Commission fair trade event 2013 in Vilnius, Nordplus Nord +Mix workshops, Baltic Trail Workshop in Latvia and many other events. Mantautas demostrated deep knowledge in history of ambisonics and various technologies, techniques and ideas used for creating it.
Altogether this meeting was attended by 45 AES Members and non-members. Attendees got overall insight into spatial audio projects and studios developed in Baltic countries. We found out that in every Baltic country is a movement of "atmos" and ambisonic. Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre has implemented it in academic level. The same as everywhere here in Baltic section are many professionals and enthusiasts working with or still exploring multi-speaker systems and wee look forward to hear their new projects.
