julien breval

- a VST plug-in called "B2Stereo" (from the B2X plug-ins suite) that decodes B-format to stereo and that you can load into [vst~ 4 2]

Now how can I "play" the *.amb file ? I don't know anything about this format nor any VST *.amb player that can load into Max/MSP ...

Is the *.amb the right standard for storing B-format ?

- a VST plug-in called "B2Stereo" (from the B2X plug-ins suite) that decodes B-format to stereo and that you can load into [vst~ 4 2]
- a file called "TetraMicSample.amb" 

playing-ambisonic-amb-files-in-maxmsp

the .amb fileformat is really a Wave file with some custom GUIDs set 

in the header (look up WAVE-EX) it's supposed to provide a channel- 

mask for automated recognition of the content and routing/decoding 

accordingly. WAVE-EX is a microsoft construct, which doesn't seem to 

be parsed well (if at all) by max's sfplay~.

the .amb file-spec is an attempt by people from the sursound 

community to create a standard for ambisonic bformat files.

there's really no need for that. you can rename the file .wav and use 

a 4 channel sfplay~. it might complain about unrecognized header 

stuff but shpould play the file just fine.

you can store b-format ambisdonic recordings in any file format you 

wat, since it's really "normal" audio with phase dependencies between 

the channels. we normally just use interleaved AIFFs.

On 07.11.2007, at 12:23, julienbreval wrote:

> - a VST plug-in called "B2Stereo" (from the B2X plug-ins suite) 

> that decodes B-format to stereo and that you can load into [vst~ 4 2]

> Now how can I "play" the *.amb file ? I don't know anything about 

> this format nor any VST *.amb player that can load into Max/MSP ...

> Is the *.amb the right standard for storing B-format ?

the .amb fileformat is really a Wave file with some custom GUIDs set  
in the header (look up WAVE-EX) it's supposed to provide a channel- 
mask for automated recognition of the content and routing/decoding  
accordingly. WAVE-EX is a microsoft construct, which doesn't seem to  
be parsed well (if at all) by max's sfplay~.

the .amb file-spec is an attempt by people from the sursound  
community to create a standard for ambisonic bformat files.

there's really no need for that. you can rename the file .wav and use  
a 4 channel sfplay~. it might complain about unrecognized header  
stuff but shpould play the file just fine.

http://www.ambisonia.com/wiki/index.php/ 
Main_Page#File_Formats_for_Ambisonics

you can store b-format ambisdonic recordings in any file format you  
wat, since it's really "normal" audio with phase dependencies between  
the channels. we normally just use interleaved AIFFs.

>
> Hello,
>
> I have downloaded these:
>
> - a VST plug-in called "B2Stereo" (from the B2X plug-ins suite)  
> that decodes B-format to stereo and that you can load into [vst~ 4 2]
> - a file called "TetraMicSample.amb"
>
>
> Now how can I "play" the *.amb file ? I don't know anything about  
> this format nor any VST *.amb player that can load into Max/MSP ...
>
> Is the *.amb the right standard for storing B-format ?
>
>
> Thanks for your help
> -j
>


After renaming the extension, Max can open the file in a sfplay~ or a buffer~, but it contains only silence (zeroes). Fortunately, it was possible to open it with Audacity and to export separated tracks that can then be loaded "normally" into Max objects ...

The only Mac program I know of that will open .amb files is TwistedWave

This is actually due to a request by Daniel Courville, the guy who authored the B2X plugin suite. He also recommends De-Interleaver by Scott Wilson

I agree with Jasch, I'm not sure why they decided on WAVE-EX, it seems to be a dead end. It's not even well supported on Windows.

The only Mac program I know of that will open .amb files is TwistedWave
http://twistedwave.com/
This is actually due to a request by Daniel Courville, the guy who authored the B2X plugin suite. He also recommends De-Interleaver by Scott Wilson
http://scottwilson.ca/site/Software.html
I agree with Jasch, I'm not sure why they decided on WAVE-EX, it seems to be a dead end. It's not even well supported on Windows.
cheers,
Jim


Quote: voxish wrote on Thu, 08 November 2007 02:29

----------------------------------------------------

> The only Mac program I know of that will open .amb files is TwistedWave

> This is actually due to a request by Daniel Courville, the guy who authored the B2X plugin suite. He also recommends De-Interleaver by Scott Wilson

> I agree with Jasch, I'm not sure why they decided on WAVE-EX, it seems to be a dead end. It's not even well supported on Windows.

Actually, Audacity can open *.amb files even without renaming the extension to *.wav; then a message box prints "importing wave EX file" :) 

I use it for separating interleaved files (and only for this) as the De-Interleaver link is broken on the Scott Wilson page.

Quote: voxish wrote on Thu, 08 November 2007 02:29
----------------------------------------------------
> The only Mac program I know of that will open .amb files is TwistedWave
> http://twistedwave.com/
> This is actually due to a request by Daniel Courville, the guy who authored the B2X plugin suite. He also recommends De-Interleaver by Scott Wilson
> http://scottwilson.ca/site/Software.html
> I agree with Jasch, I'm not sure why they decided on WAVE-EX, it seems to be a dead end. It's not even well supported on Windows.
----------------------------------------------------

Actually, Audacity can open *.amb files even without renaming the extension to *.wav; then a message box prints "importing wave EX file" :) 
I use it for separating interleaved files (and only for this) as the De-Interleaver link is broken on the Scott Wilson page.


Playing ambisonic *.amb files in Max/MSP