New 3D Audio Mastering Plug-In

Aureal Semiconductor Inc. today announced availability of its new A3D Pro technology for Digidesign® Pro Tools® - the leading platform for the creation and post-production of audio by professional editors and studios.

A3D allows users to hear a realistic three-dimensional and fully immersive audio experience from two speakers or headphones. A3D was initially developed for NASA to create the ultimate 3D audio simulation environment and is now used in over 100 under development or shipping game titles. A3D Pro is being demonstrated at the AES (Audio Engineering Society) show in Digidesign's developer booth #424.

A3D Pro

With A3D Pro, game developers can now complement complex visuals with realistic audio environments for use in 'cut scenes,' enhancing the overall game experience. Recording artists can construct custom venues ranging from cozy nightclubs to mega stadium events that place the listener directly in these environments.

A3D Pro is a new version of Aureal's well-received Protron Plug-in for Pro Tools, used in leading Hollywood films such as Twister and Cable Guy. With A3D Pro and Pro Tools, producers can mix a performance as they 'see' it, arranging audio sources beyond the standard stereo field. Unlike other '3D' programs which function like a speaker spreader or spatializers, A3D Pro lets producers control the position and motion of audio sources in three dimensions, taking a mono source and localizing it in a 3D acoustic space.

From within the A3D Pro window, users can 'grab' a sound source and place it at any location in environments with a variety of dimensions and reflection characteristics. Aureal Wavetracing technology provides realistic reflective surfaces, from stucco walls to concrete floors to studio environments.

What sets A3D Pro's positional audio apart from other 3D audio effects is Aureal's A3D soundfield synthesis processing. A3D combines proprietary compressed Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) with patent-pending acoustic environment rendering techniques. The result is a three-dimensional soundfield that is totally immersive.

A3D Pro significantly enhances the Protron feature-set with the following new capabilities:

• Optimized DSP (Digital Signal Processor) code enables real-time performance on ProTools TDM hardware
• PCI® and NuBus Macintosh® support
• A new Crosstalk Canceller Plug-In assures proper imaging of 3D effects through speakers as well as headphones
• Full support for ProTools 4.X automation features enables real-time motion of audio sources through soundfields

Pricing, Availability and System Requirements:

A3D Pro is compatible with the following Pro Tools TDM systems:

• 68K NuBus
• PowerPC NuBus
• Pro Tools PCI
• Pro Tools 24
• Pro Tools Software, Version 3.2 or later
• Each instance of A3D Pro in a TDM Session requires 1 DSP chip
• The Crosstalk Canceller also requires 1 DSP chip