Hellcxase

Throughout the history of recorded music, we've witnessed several transformative technological revolutions: the transition from mono to stereo in the 1950s and 60s, the shift from analog to digital in the 1980s and 90s, and the streaming revolution of the 2010s. Today, we stand at the threshold of another momentous evolution in audio: the emergence of spatial sound technologies that promise to fundamentally change how we create and experience music.

At Hellcxase, we've been closely following, experimenting with, and investing in spatial audio capabilities, convinced that these technologies represent not just a passing trend but a significant paradigm shift in music production and consumption. This post explores the current state and future potential of spatial audio, drawing on our experiences implementing these techniques in recent projects.

Understanding Spatial Audio: Beyond Stereo

Traditional stereo presents sound in a single horizontal plane between two speakers, creating what audio engineers often call a "stage" or "soundstage." Spatial audio expands this concept dramatically, allowing sounds to be positioned and moved anywhere in a three-dimensional sphere around the listener.

This represents a fundamental shift in how we conceptualize sound recording and reproduction:

• Horizontal Positioning: Beyond basic left-right panning, spatial audio allows precise placement anywhere around the listener's head
• Vertical Positioning: Sounds can be perceived as coming from above or below the listener
• Distance Perception: Advanced spatial processing creates convincing impressions of sound sources at various distances
• Environmental Context: Spatial audio can model how sounds interact with virtual spaces

Key Spatial Audio Technologies

Several overlapping technologies and formats are driving the spatial audio revolution. Understanding their distinctions helps clarify the current landscape:

Dolby Atmos for Music

Originally developed for cinema, Dolby Atmos has been adapted for music production, offering:

• Object-based mixing where individual sound elements can be positioned in 3D space
• Scalable playback that adapts to different speaker configurations
• Binaural rendering for headphone listening
• Integration with major streaming platforms like Apple Music and Tidal

At Hellcxase, we've recently completed our first Atmos-certified mixing environment, allowing us to create native Atmos mixes as well as spatial remasters of traditional stereo recordings.

Sony 360 Reality Audio

Sony's competing format employs similar object-based principles but with some key differences:

• Stronger emphasis on headphone playback
• Personalization features that adapt to individual ear shapes
• Integration with Sony's ecosystem of audio products

Binaural Recording and Processing

Binaural audio creates spatial effects specifically for headphone listening:

• Pure Binaural Recording: Using specialized dummy head microphones with ear-shaped acoustic receivers
• HRTF Processing: Applying Head-Related Transfer Functions to position sounds in virtual 3D space
• Hybrid Approaches: Combining traditional and binaural microphone techniques

We've conducted several experimental sessions with our Neumann KU-100 binaural head, capturing performances that create an uncanny sense of "being there" when heard through headphones.

Ambisonics and VR Audio

Ambisonic formats capture or synthesize a complete spherical sound field:

• Format agnostic—can be decoded to various speaker arrangements or headphones
• Particularly valuable for virtual reality applications
• Allows post-recording rotation of the entire sound field

Creative Implications for Artists and Producers

Beyond the technical aspects, spatial audio opens up fascinating new creative possibilities. Our experiments at Hellcxase have revealed several promising creative directions:

Reimagining the "Mix Space"

Traditional stereo mixing operates within significant constraints. Spatial audio liberates producers from these limitations:

• Elements can be placed anywhere in a 360-degree sphere rather than just along a left-right axis
• Sounds can move dynamically through three-dimensional paths
• Vertical separation can resolve crowded arrangements
• Distance can be used as a mix parameter, creating new approaches to foreground/background relationships

In a recent jazz quartet recording at Hellcxase, we experimented with placing the listener inside the ensemble rather than in front of it—positioning the piano slightly behind, drums in front, bass to one side, and saxophone moving around the space during solos. The result was a startlingly intimate listening experience impossible to achieve in conventional stereo.

New Approaches to Genre and Composition

Different musical genres can leverage spatial audio in distinctive ways:

• Electronic Music: Creating immersive soundscapes with sounds that orbit, spiral, or envelope the listener
• Classical/Acoustic: Reproducing or enhancing natural acoustic environments with precise instrumental positioning
• Experimental: Developing new compositional approaches specifically designed for three-dimensional presentation
• Popular Music: Enhancing emotional impact through strategic use of immersion and movement

Performance Capture Evolution

Spatial audio is also changing how we approach the recording process itself:

• Multi-perspective microphone arrays that capture the complete sound field
• Greater emphasis on capturing natural acoustic environments
• Integration of spatial information from the earliest recording stages rather than as a mixing afterthought
• New balance considerations when capturing ensembles

Practical Realities and Challenges

While spatial audio holds tremendous promise, several practical challenges currently affect its adoption and implementation:

The Playback Environment Reality

The spatial audio experience varies dramatically depending on how it's consumed:

• Full Speaker Arrays: Provide the most complete spatial experience but are impractical for most consumers
• Soundbars and Smart Speakers: Offer approximations of spatial effects through clever processing
• Headphones: Currently the most accessible way to experience spatial audio but with significant variability

This diversity of playback scenarios creates challenges for producers, who must consider how their spatial mixes will translate across these different environments.

Technical Complexity and Workflow Challenges

Creating effective spatial audio currently involves significant complexity:

• Specialized tools and environments for spatial mixing
• Longer production times and steeper learning curves
• Workflow integration with traditional production pipelines
• Additional quality control steps across multiple playback systems

At Hellcxase, we've invested in both technology and training to overcome these barriers, but they remain significant considerations for many studios and artists.

Format Wars and Future-Proofing

The current landscape of competing formats creates uncertainty:

• Multiple standards with varying levels of industry support
• Platform-specific implementations that may not be compatible
• Concerns about long-term accessibility of content

Our approach has been to create spatial masters in both major formats while maintaining high-quality stereo versions as a universal fallback.

Case Study: A Spatial Audio Production at Hellcxase

To illustrate the practical application of spatial audio technologies, let me share a brief case study from a recent project at our studio.

Last month, we worked with an electronic music composer on a piece specifically conceived for spatial audio presentation. Rather than converting an existing stereo composition, the artist built the piece from the ground up with spatial movement and positioning as core compositional elements.

Our production process included:

1. Conceptual Planning: Developing a three-dimensional "score" that mapped how sounds would move through space over time
2. Sound Design: Creating elements with specific spatial characteristics in mind
3. Recording: Capturing acoustic elements using multiple microphone techniques to preserve spatial information
4. Spatial Mixing: Building the composition in our Atmos environment with constant evaluation on multiple playback systems
5. Format Creation: Producing deliverables in Dolby Atmos, Sony 360, and traditional stereo formats

The results were remarkable—particularly the difference between spatial presentations and the stereo version. Elements that seemed merely interesting in stereo became genuinely immersive in spatial formats, creating emotional responses that surprised even the composer.

The Future of Spatial Audio

Based on our experiences and industry trends, we anticipate several developments in spatial audio over the coming years:

Increasing Accessibility

• More affordable spatial audio production tools
• Simplified workflows integrated into standard DAWs
• AI-assisted spatial mixing and positioning
• Wider adoption across streaming platforms

Creative Evolution

• New musical genres specifically designed for spatial presentation
• Hybrid experiences combining spatial audio with other media
• Live performances with dynamic spatial audio elements
• Interactive spatial audio that responds to listener movement or engagement

Technical Advancement

• Improved personalization based on individual hearing characteristics
• Better translation between different playback environments
• More realistic simulation of acoustic spaces
• Potential standardization of key formats and delivery methods

Getting Started with Spatial Audio

For artists and producers interested in exploring spatial audio, here are some practical starting points:

Listening and Learning

• Experience as much spatial audio content as possible across different playback systems
• Study how different genres and artists approach spatial arrangement
• Develop critical listening skills specifically for spatial audio characteristics

Initial Production Steps

• Experiment with binaural processing plugins in your current DAW
• Consider how your mixes might translate to spatial formats even if initially producing in stereo
• Record with multiple microphone techniques to preserve spatial information
• Work with studios (like Hellcxase) that offer spatial audio capabilities

Conclusion: A New Dimension in Musical Expression

Spatial audio represents more than just a technological advancement—it offers a new dimension for musical expression. Just as stereo transformed music production in the 20th century by adding the left-right axis, spatial audio now extends the creative canvas in all directions.

At Hellcxase, we're committed to exploring these new possibilities alongside the artists we work with. We believe that spatial audio will increasingly become an integral part of the production landscape rather than a separate specialty or novelty.

The most exciting aspect of this evolution is that we're still in its early stages. The creative language of spatial audio is still being developed, and there are countless unexplored possibilities waiting to be discovered by innovative artists and producers.

We invite you to join us on this journey into the third dimension of sound. Whether you're ready to dive fully into spatial production or simply curious about how these technologies might enhance your music, we're here to help navigate this exciting new frontier.