Spatial Audio and the Metaverse future
How audio innovations like Dolby Atmos and spatial audio will elevate the future that Metaverse holds.
Let this article be food for thought to imagine what immersion of audio experience intertwined with the video might be with the future that web 3.0 and Metaverse holds.
Gaming and entertainment companies strived to match the video experience as close to reality. Now, with technologies like AR/VR and Mixed reality the industry has come a long way!
While a lot of companies really pushed the boundary of vision ( and they still keep doing it ) Companies like Dolby and Apple have already started sprinting and are making a buzz about atmospheric sound immersion and spatial audio.
What is spatial audio (next step of Dolby atmos)?
Trust me when I say it, you need to hear it to understand exactly what it feels like. Spatial audio isn’t just another name for 360˚ audio. It has the capability of multi-axis alignment and that makes the immersion to the next level.
It basically doesn’t just mimic a 360˚ audio but also tracks the height and angle of the head so that the audio can be rotated according to the movement of the head ( head tracking ). Here’s a link to Highfidelity.com check out the videos to experience the difference between normal stereo audio and Dolby Atmos.
Listening to music is much more immersive spaced out and separated but Netflix just blows your mind. It makes your ears sensitive to sounds that aren’t actually in the frame.
If a missile is launched and it’s not visible on the screen but somewhere coming from behind you. You will be able to hear it as it approaches you while being fired through you. The sound effect will not be spread across both your ears but will be focused and travel through a 3D space map that is designed to make you feel much more immersed in the content.
This tech is also being used for better video calls and immersive gaming experiences. Apple’s FaceTime creates an artificial room for all the people so that a meeting doesn’t just feel like a flat audio call. You hear people in stereo but not all over the place sound per person is projected from one focused direction and if you move your head, similarly the sound would adjust so when your ear moves and points directly towards somebody who is virtually aligned in front of you, their sound will be much more clear and louder like in reality.
What it means for the future.
Imagine this, it’s the year 2030. You’re sitting in your living room and having a virtual party with your family who are in a different country. But it doesn’t feel so virtual. The glasses you’re wearing cast people holographically in your space. The gloves you are wearing are simulating a haptic sensation of touch. Visually and physically it’s almost real but the sound?
Your sound system at home creates a spherical atmospheric environment of multiple 3D audio projections that project sounds exactly like they are supposed to be projected in this multi-dimensional space.
You can hear people walking without looking at them and the rattling of the leaves outside the window of your parent’s country home but you live in a closed skyscraper apartment. The sound just makes it hard to believe that you aren’t physically there in that environment. As it moves with you. Rotates, shifts, amplifies the louder statements and carefully adds environmental sound effects in the mix of voices.
Games would not just be VR anymore. It’ll be surreal when the platform your character is standing on shakes and rumbles to break you’ll feel the vibration of air and voices being mimicked like it’s happening in reality. All of this is just one step further to make you feel it is real.
Spatial audio makes a lot of sense now that the concept of the Metaverse is becoming more popular. Audio will play a significant role in the All-N-All in Metaverse not only to enhance the experience but also to give the virtual business a real-world feel. Activities will be surreal or just natural. Something like Jurassic world, or simply meditating at the lakeside with only the sound of birds, the 3D sound will aid in creating the illusion that you are actually there.
Spatial audio conferencing platforms will ideally blend in with existing conferencing tools while supporting emerging technology. The same is true for gaming and live concerts; believe it or not, this will soon become the norm. Hopefully, we can stop retrofitting social tools with quality audio and spatial sound and start building better environments. Hearing is the second-best sensory for humans after sight, so why not make full use of it to create a delightful experience.
As for the creators, these tools will allow them to do more. I’d sure like to visit places I can’t physically go to and allow my subliminal thoughts to flow! What would you want to hear in Metaverse
