ATK for SuperCollider : Read Me

This is the SuperCollider version of the Ambisonic Toolkit (ATK). It can be used with SuperCollider on OSX, Linux and Windows, and is distributed as a Quark package with sc3-plugins components, and other dependencies.

The Ambisonic Toolkit (ATK) is intended to bring together a number of tools and methods for working with Ambisonic surround sound. The intention is for the toolset to be both ergonomic and comprehensive, providing both classic and novel algorithms to creatively manipulate and synthesise complex Ambisonic soundfields.

Tools are offered in two sets: * The first of these is modeled after the hardware and software tools offered in the world of classic, aka Gerzonic, First Order Ambisonics (FOA). * The second is framed as a modern Near-Field Controlled Higher Order Ambisonic (NFC-HOA) solution.

The tools are framed for the user to think in terms of the soundfield kernel. By this, it is meant the ATK addresses the holistic problem of creatively controlling a complete soundfield, allowing and encouraging the composer to think beyond the placement of sounds in a sound-space and instead attend to the impression and image of a soundfield. This approach takes advantage of the model the Ambisonic technology presents, and is viewed to be the idiomatic mode for working with the Ambisonic technique.

We hope you enjoy the ATK!

For more information please visit the Ambisonic Toolkit website or send us an e-mail. See also ABCs of the ATK for an overview on working with the ATK for SuperCollider.

 

 

Installing

 

Requirements

ATK for SuperCollider requires version 3.10 or later. Download the latest version here, or fork the source code at GitHub.

 

atk-sc3 Quark

The ATK for SuperCollider's classes, extension methods and documentation are distributed via the atk-sc3 quark. Start by reviewing the Quark installation instructions found here. See also Using Quarks.

With git installed, you can easily install the atk-sc3 Quark directly by running the following line of code in SuperCollider:

supercollider Quarks.install("https://github.com/ambisonictoolkit/atk-sc3.git");

If you've previously installed the ATK, you'll want to update all the dependencies to their current versions. The easiest way to do so is via the Quarks GUI:

supercollider QuarksGui.new;

sc3-plugins

The ATK's compiled UGen component releases are available from the sc3-plugins releases page.

Place the downloaded SC3plugins folder in your Extensions folder. On Mac OS X, this resolves to:

~/Library/Application Support/SuperCollider/Extensions

You may need to create the Extensions folder if it does not already exist.

On other platforms, you can find where this is by running the following line of code in SuperCollider:

supercollider ( // post the directory in which to move the SC3Plugins folder Platform.userExtensionDir.postln; ) ( // alternatively, SC can open it for you // (assuming it already exists! - you may need to create /Extensions) Platform.userExtensionDir.openOS; )

If you've previously installed the ATK, you'll want to be sure to install the version of sc3-plugins that is compatible with your installed version of SuperCollider.

Kernels, Matrices & Soundfiles

Additionally, the SuperCollider version of the ATK has further dependencies:

• ATK Kernels
• ATK Matrices
• ATK Soundfiles

Install Kernels, Matrices, and Soundfiles by running the following code:

supercollider Atk.downloadKernels; Atk.downloadMatrices; Atk.downloadSounds;

If successful, these three dependencies are installed here:

supercollider ( // post the kernel, matrix and sounds directories Atk.userKernelDir.postln; Atk.userMatrixDir.postln; Atk.userSoundsDir.postln; )

 

Source code

You can build the ATK for SuperCollider UGen components from the sc3-plugins source-code.

 

Need Some Sound Files to Play Around With?

You can find a collection of sound files here. (Download as part of installation):

• http://www.ambisonictoolkit.net/download/recordings/

 

Additional sound files can be grabbed from these fine sources:

• Ambisonic Sound Library.
• Ambisonia.
• Freesound.

 

And most of the catalogue of Nimbus Records are UHJ recordings:

• http://www.wyastone.co.uk/.

 

 

Feedback and Bug Reports

Known issues are logged at GitHub.

If you experience problems or have questions pertaining to the ATK for SuperCollider, please create an issue in the atk-sc3 issue tracker.

Experienced users and the developers are active participants on the SuperCollider Forum. Questions posted here are usually answered fairly quickly.

The archives of the now closed SuperCollider mailing lists (2002 - 20021) may be searched via this page.

If need be, the developers can be contacted directly via this address.

 

List of Changes

Version 5.0.7

• New features:

  • Tests: TestWaveNumber

• Refactoring:

  • refactor for clarity: WaveNumber: -distWeights, -ctrlWeights, etc.

• Issue fixes:

  • fix: WaveNumber: -wn

• Documentation Updates:

  • list explicit formulae & clarifying comments: HoaOrder, HoaRadius, WaveNumber
  • clarifying comments: TDesign: *newHoa

Version 5.0.6

• Issue fixes:
  • fix: Atk.downloadMatrices with wrong url issue (Issue #116)
  • fix: AtkMatrix:*getAtkOpPath : Throw error only if requested path is not a user extension

Version 5.0.5

• Issue fixes:
  • fix: refactor mosl.txt to use JSFX comment char #

Version 5.0.4

• New features:

  • FOA speed of sound now user settable
    • affects: FoaProximity, FoaNFC, FoaNF
  • HOA Bilinear Transform, aka Dominance, soundfield warping

• Issue fixes:

  • fix: broken links ABCs-of-the-ATK

Version 5.0.3

• New features:

  • FOA soundfield indicator: Active Energy Balance (Mu); indicates travelling wave.
  • FOA soundfield indicator: Near-field distance estimate; travelling wave radius.

• Documentation Updates:

  • Fix typo: ATK FAQs
  • Fix TOC links: HoaRadius

• Issue fixes:

  • Quark file schelp, redirected to ABCs-of-the-ATK

Version 5.0.2

• Issue fixes:
  • Remove Inline Warnings

Version 5.0.1

• Issue fixes:
  • Remove Inline Warnings

Version 5.0.0

• New features (highlights):

  • Integrated support for classic First Order Ambisonics (FOA) and modern Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA).
  • Implements the Near-Field Controlled, aka Near-Field Compensated, form of higher order Ambisonics (NFC-HOA).
  • Ambisonic order is merely limited by system speed, channel capacity and numerical precision rather than by design.
  • Control and synthesis of the near-field effect (NFE) of finite distance sources in both FOA and HOA, including radial beamforming.
  • Ambisonic coefficients and matrices are available for inspection and manipulation in the interperter.
  • Angular domain soundfield decomposition and recomposition.
  • Analysis of transformer and decoder matrices.
  • Automatic installation of Kernels, Matrices and Soundfiles

• Documentation Updates:

  • Substantial refactor to document and explore new HOA framework!

• Issue fixes:

  • Fix nans on directional analysis

Version 4.0.3

• Issue fixes:
  • Make sampleRate value integer strings to support SC 3.10. Fixes supercollider/sc3-plugins #244.

Version 4.0.2

• Issue fixes:
  • Remove CTK dependency from kernel loading routines.

Version 4.0.1

• Documentation Updates:

• README: add Michael McCrea as named contributor in Author & Copyright notices.

• Issue fixes:

  • Correct Quark file dependencies

Version 4.0.0

• New features:

  • Soundfield Analysis: Real-time soundfield features and vectors
  • Soundfield (matrix) transform display
  • B-format Audition / Player

• Refactoring:

  • Quark-ify: classes, extension methods & documentation moved to atk-sc3 Quark. UGens remain in sc3-plugins.
  • Matrix library: fixed matrices moved to atk-matrices. Download fixed matrices: https://github.com/ambisonictoolkit/atk-matrices/releases

• Documentation Updates:

• README updated to reflect recent changes and installation instructions.
• Fix broken Decoder k links
• Fix -newZoomH2n encoder links

• AtkMatrix - remove duplicated methods & hide -type

• Issue fixes:

  • Class library: fix inline warnings

Version 3.8.0

• New features:

  • Matrix reading & writing: encoder, xformer, & decoder.
  • Improved NRT encoder / decoder support.
  • Supported SRs: 44100, 48000, 88200, 96000, 176400, 192000. Download new kernels: https://github.com/ambisonictoolkit/atk-kernels/releases

• Documentation Updates:

  • README updated to reflect recent changes and installation instructions.
  • Document decoder k and microphone pattern equivalences, both in terms of keywords and numerical values.
  • Update Intro-to-the-ATK & imaging figures. Transform plots now illustrate rE rather than rV, which is more closely tied to perception.
  • Update Help with Server -numOutputBusChannels advice.
  • Update various broken links in Help.
  • Include details on delay introduced by use of kernel encoders & decoders.
  • More verbose Help for SynthDefs and NRT.
  • Update Help Files for Multiple SRs.
  • Help now uses -degrad & -raddeg for unit conversion.
  • README: add contributors. List under release in alphabetical order by first name.

• Issue fixes:

  • Score NRT kernel bug fixes
  • Support for SR = 176400
  • AtkMatrix.initPeri, (re-)fix for shelfK 3D.

Version 3.7.2

• New features:

  • Ambisonic exchange: 1st-order Ambisonic exchange encoders & decoders. These support channel orders: ACN and SID; normalization: N3D and SN3D. Added to support evolving VR standards.

• Documentation Updates:

  • ATK has a new web page! Update links in Intro-to-the-ATK.
  • README updated to reflect recent changes and point to current web page and installation sources.
  • Wiggins credit: Corrected to 5.0 coefficients (only)

Version 3.7.0-beta

• Refactoring:
  • ATK speed-up: Optimizations for higher speed UGen matrix calculation.
  • Generalize FoaEncode and FoaDecode behavior: now more able to support subclass extensions

Version 3.7.0-alpha0

• New features:

  • Spreader & Diffusion kernel encoders: Frequency spreading & phase diffusion. Requires download of new kernel distribution.
  • Cross-platform support for user and system support directories. Required by kernel encoders and decoders.

• Issue fixes:

  • Fix clicks on .kr transforms: ATK transform UGens operating at .kr clicked when angle arguments wrap.
  • Fix for FoaPsychoShelf signal passing
  • Fix for shelfK 3D, AtkMatrix initPeri: was assigning shelfK for the psycho acoustic shelf filter to be the values appropriate for 2D in all cases. Now corrected for 3D.
  • Fixes for incorrect kernel paths.

• Refactoring:

  • ATKMatrix: save path before freeing kernel
  • Binaural decoders: Update to CIPIC, Listen and Spherical interfaces to support newly diffuse field equalised HRTF decoder kernels. You'll download the new kernels.
  • Assure channel arrays are flat for signal passing.

• Documentation Updates:

  • CIPIC decoder: now diffuse field equalised.
  • 3rd party HRTFs: kernel licensing notice update
  • Pampin "On Space" credit updates
  • SCDoc errors & broken links, formatting & tidying

Version 3.5

• First Public Release as part of the sc3-plugins project!

A note on the ATK's version numbers: Versioning for the atk-sc3 quark adheres to the familiar system known as Semantic Versioning. In contrast, as part of the sc3-plugins project, the versioning for UGen components is synced to the release numbers assigned to sc3-plugins releases.

As SuperCollider's plugin system continues to develop, we expect to adopt Semantic Versioning for all components when it is possible to do so.

 

 

Credits

 

Copyright the ATK Community, Joseph Anderson, Joshua Parmenter, and Michael McCrea 2011, 2016-22.

• J Anderson : [e-mail]
• M McCrea : [e-mail]
• J Parmenter : [e-mail]

 

The development of the ATK for SuperCollider is supported by DXARTS, Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media.

The filter kernels distributed with the Ambisonic Toolkit are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) License and are copyright the Ambisonic Toolkit Community and Joseph Anderson, 2011.

Contributors

Version 5.0.7 * Michael McCrea (@mtmccrea)

Version 5.0.6 * Michael McCrea (@mtmccrea) * Marcin Pączkowski (@dyfer)

Version 5.0.3 - 5.0.5 * Joseph Anderson (@joslloand)

Version 5.0.2 * Joseph Anderson (@joslloand) * Julian Rohrhuber (@telephon)

Version 5.0.1 * Julian Rohrhuber (@telephon)

Version 5.0.0 * Joseph Anderson (@joslloand) * Michael McCrea (@mtmccrea) * Marcin Pączkowski (@dyfer) * Eirik Arthur Blekesaune (@blacksound)

Version 4.0.3 * Michael McCrea (@mtmccrea) * Eirik Arthur Blekesaune (@blacksound)

Version 4.0.2 * Michael McCrea (@mtmccrea) * David Granström (@davidgranstrom)

Version 4.0.1 * Joseph Anderson (@joslloand)

Version 4.0.0 * Joseph Anderson (@joslloand) * Julian Rohrhuber (@telephon) * Michael McCrea (@mtmccrea)

Version 3.8.0 * Daniel Peterson (@dmartinp) * Joseph Anderson (@joslloand) * Michael McCrea (@mtmccrea)

Version 3.7.2 * Joseph Anderson (@joslloand) * Luis Lloret (@llloret)

Version 3.7.0-beta * Nathan Ho (@snappizz) * Tim Blechmann (@timblechmann)

Version 3.7.0-alpha0 * James Harkins (@jamshark70) * Joseph Anderson (@joslloand) * Joshua Parmenter (@joshpar)

Version 3.5 * Jonatan Liljedahl (@lijon) * Joseph Anderson (@joslloand) * Joshua Parmenter (@joshpar)

 

 

Third Party Notices

 

Higher Order Matrix Rotation

The algorithm found in HoaMatrixRotation is largely a port of spherical harmonic rotations from Archontis Politis's Spherical-Harmonic-Transform Library for Matlab/Octave.

https://github.com/polarch/Spherical-Harmonic-Transform

Specifically: euler2rotationMatrix.m; getSHrotMtx.m; complex2realSHMtx.m

Politis's code for real SH rotations is a port of Bing Jian's implementations, found here: http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/15377-real-valued-spherical-harmonics

Copyright (c) 2016, Bing Jian Copyright (c) 2015, Archontis Politis All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

• Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

• Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

• Neither the name of Spherical-Harmonic-Transform nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

The technique was originally authored here: Ivanic, J., Ruedenberg, K. (1996). Rotation Matrices for Real Spherical Harmonics. Direct Determination by Recursion. The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 100(15), 6342?6347.

...with corrections:

Ivanic, J., Ruedenberg, K. (1998). Rotation Matrices for Real Spherical Harmonics. Direct Determination by Recursion Page: Additions and Corrections. Journal of Physical Chemistry A, 102(45), 9099-9100.

Diametric Decoder Theorem (DDT) decoding

Support for Gerzon's Diametric Decoder Theorem (DDT) decoding algorithm is derived from Aaron Heller's Octave code available at: http://www.ai.sri.com/ajh/ambisonics/

Benjamin, et al., "Localization in Horizontal-Only Ambisonic Systems" Preprint from AES-121, 10/2006, San Francisco

Implementation in the SuperCollider version of the ATK is by Joseph Anderson.

 

Irregular array decoding

Irregular array decoding coefficients (5.0) are kindly provided by Bruce Wiggins: http://www.brucewiggins.co.uk/

B. Wiggins, "An Investigation into the Real-time Manipulation and Control of Three-dimensional Sound Fields," PhD Thesis, University of Derby, Derby, 2004.

 

CIPIC HRTF Database (University of California)

V. R. Algazi, R. O. Duda, D. M. Thompson, and C. Avendano, "The CIPIC HRTF Database," in Proceedings of the 2001 IEEE ASSP Workshop on Applications of Signal Processing to Audio and Acoustics, New Paltz, NY, 2001.

"The CIPIC HRTF Database - CIPIC International Laboratory." [Online]. Available: http://interface.cipic.ucdavis.edu/sound/hrtf.html. [Accessed: 07-Jul-2011].

CIPIC Notices:

Copyright (c) 2001 The Regents of the University of California. All Rights Reserved

Disclaimer

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA MAKE NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTENTS HEREOF AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

Further, the Regents of the University of California reserve the right to revise this software and/or documentation and to make changes from time to time in the content hereof without obligation of the Regents of the University of California to notify any person of such revision or change.

Use of Materials

The Regents of the University of California hereby grant users permission to reproduce and/or use materials available therein for any purpose- educational, research or commercial. However, each reproduction of any part of the materials must include the copyright notice, if it is present. In addition, as a courtesy, if these materials are used in published research, this use should be acknowledged in the publication. If these materials are used in the development of commercial products, the Regents of the University of California request that written acknowledgment of such use be sent to:

CIPIC- Center for Image Processing and Integrated Computing University of California 1 Shields Avenue Davis, CA 95616-8553

 

Listen HRTF Database (IRCAM)

"LISTEN HRTF DATABASE." [Online]. Available: http://recherche.ircam.fr/equipes/salles/listen/. [Accessed: 07-Jul-2011].

IRCAM Notices:

Copyright (c) 2002 IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique). All Rights Reserved

Use of Materials

The Listen database is public and available for any use. We would however appreciate an acknowledgment of the database somewhere in the description of your work (e.g. paper) or in your development.

Contacts:

Olivier Warusfel, Room Acoustics Team, IRCAM 1, place Igor Stravinsky 75004 PARIS, France