About
Spatial audio is the future. However, its potential in a production workflow has yet to be realized. Today, many audio effects meant to create a spatial impression don’t actually consider any spatial properties of virtual audio sources. xpans explores how audio effects can create an immersive, spatially clear impression in a mix even in basic stereo listening.
Wordmark
The word “Expanse” contains the word “pan”. Panning in audio is what creates a large part of a spatial impression in a mix. The two letter E’s were removed from the word to symbolically “take off the guardrails” to allow the inner letters to be out in the open.
Panner
The Panner is responsible for giving sounds spatial properties. These spatial properties are then sent to other audio plugins and eventually the audio renderer, which is responsible for mixing sounds for the user’s listening configuration.
Reverb
Reverb is a common audio effect that simulates a virtual “room” or other space to give sounds a tail. However, most reverbs do not consider spatial properties of sounds, only the spatial properties of the virtual space.
xpans Reverb simulates audio waves transmitting from the audio source using its spatial properties and bounces the waves off of the room’s walls, greatly enhancing the spatial impression of the reverb effect.
Controls are provided to adjust the spatial and material properties of the room as well as individual walls. The simulation’s parameters can also be adjusted to control the reverb’s presence in the mix.
