Micro-credential - Spatial Audio

Why should I take this MC

Spatial audio has seen renewed interest in recent years due to its critical importance in new immersive media such as VR, AR, and 360 video. New immersive cinema surround sound formats such as Dolby Atmos have also recently been adopted by streaming media platforms such as Apple Music, Netflix, among others. The recording, production, and formatting of spatial audio for these different platforms and applications involve a range of different audio techniques such as binaural and Ambisonics, which are significantly more complex and fundamentally different from standard two-channel stereo.

This module will allow audio practitioners to upskill to these new audio formats and standards used in media such as VR, AR, and 360 video, and new spatial audio streaming formats such as Dolby Atmos, utilizing spatial audio recording and analysis techniques for acoustic engineering and analysis.

 What will I learn – learning outcomes

This module addresses the fundamental psychoacoustics behind techniques such as stereophony, Ambisonics, and binaural to reveal how they function, and importantly their relative strengths and limitations. In addition, the practical production of audio content using these techniques will be addressed using a variety of different tools and applications. Finally, the use of spatial audio techniques for acoustics analysis and engineering will also be examined using a variety of practical examples.

 What will I do – outlines activities
In this module you will attend weekly 2-hour lectures. These will be classroom based due to the significant practical component involving spatial audio loudspeaker systems, microphones, and other tools and software. The lectures will include the theory and practice of various spatial audio techniques, using both lecture style presentations, listening sessions with various spatial audio content, and practical, studio-based tutorials.

How is this MC delivered – mode of delivery

The lecture component of this module will occupy a single 2-hour slot, once a week for the 12 weeks of the autumn semester, and is therefore relatively accessible for industry and professional staff participation.

How is this MC assessed – assessment specifics

It will be assessed through two pratical assignments, and one in-class MCQ test in Week 8 of the course. The first assignment is in the first half of the course and concentrates on binaural audio. The second, larger assignment is due c. 2 weeks after the final lecture and students can select one of three projects, namely;
Option A: 5.1 Location Music Recording
Object: Produce a location music recording for 5.1 using various multichannel microphone techniques.

Option B: Spatial Music Composition
Object: Compose an original work of spatial music for 7.1 using Higher Order Ambisonics, B-format recordings, Stereophony and Parameter Modulation in Reaper.

Option C: Acoustics Survey and FOA IR capture
Object: Perform an on location acoustic survey using monophonic and first order Ambisonic (FOA) microphones, and prepare FOA spatial IRs and example binaural audio files.

ECTS and NFQ level and learning hours – 5 ECTS, NFQ Level 9, and 125 hours

Engineering – Courses – Trinity College Dublin (tcd.ie)