AES Europe 2026

This paper introduces a novel approach for generating a
lower layer in multichannel audio upmixing, addressing a
gap in existing methods that primarily focus on mid; top
layers. Leveraging Harmonic-Percussive Separation (HPS),
the proposed framework dynamically adjusts key parameters
(separation factor, harmonic attenuation,; phase shift)
to enhance percussive components while diffusing harmonic
elements. We compared three neural network architectures
for this task: LSTM, TCN,; Transformer. Experimental
results show comparable perceptual quality; objective
metrics across all models, with the TCN being the most
balanced; suitable for deployment on edge devices.

Since 2021, 7.1.4 musical content has transitioned from a
niche specialty to a mainstream commercial deliverable
within major streaming ecosystems. However, industry
discourse indicates a disparity in how the immersive stage
is utilized across different production tiers. This paper
presents a targeted quantitative study of thirty 7.1.4
tracks (N = 30 total; 15 per category; 2021–2026),
employing a matched-pair sampling strategy driven by the
availability of 'Established Excellence' (Grammy
Award-winning/nominated immersive albums) against
genre-equivalent 'Market Dominance' (top-charting streaming
tracks). The study utilizes a multi-parameter measurement
methodology, including Inter-Channel Cross-Correlation,
hemispheric symmetry; spatial width analysis.
Furthermore, vertical spectral centroid distribution;
channel occupancy (Center; LFE) are analyzed to identify
recurring structural immersive design markers. Preliminary
findings suggest a consistent forward-facing bias; lower
activity in select channels in charting commercial releases
compared to award-recognized counterparts. By documenting
these technical indicators, such as quarter-sphere
correlation; LFE handling differences, this study
establishes a benchmark for current immersive mixing
practices; highlights the technical indicators that may
limit the transition from enhanced stereo to true immersive
envelopment.

The ECHO Project (Exploring the Cinematic Hemisphere for
Orchestra) is a collaborative initiative investigating 3D
microphone array techniques for orchestral recording.
Building on the 3D-MARCo initiative, the project provides a
platform for sound engineers, composers, researchers, and
students to explore and experiment with immersive recording
approaches. As part of this effort, an open-access database
of high-quality orchestral recordings was created from
sessions at AIR Studios, London, featuring Oscar-winning
composer Volker Bertelmann and the London Contemporary
Orchestra.The ECHO database contains recordings of four
musical pieces captured using up to 143 microphone
capsules, including seven expert-designed microphone
arrays, spot microphones, a dummy head, and a higher-order
spherical microphone system. The database enables
comparison of different recording techniques and supports
experimentation with microphone mixing, making it a
valuable resource for research, teaching, and immersive
audio production. This workshop will introduce the
microphone arrays, describe the recording process and
immersive compositional approach, and showcase selected
recordings in 7.1.4.

This work presents the results of a perceptual study
investigating the influence on musicians of a virtual
acoustics system installed in the live room of a
professional recording studio. The study focused on
analyzing relationships between a selection of objective
acoustic parameters (T30, STLate, LJ); subjective
perceptions of 19 solo
musicians performing under 11 different acoustic
conditions. The experiment was conducted using the VAT
(Virtual Acoustic Technology) system; the VAT Suite
software developed at the Immersive Media Laboratory
(IMLab) in the Sound Recording Department at McGill
University. Correlations between quantitative;
qualitative analyses
show that musicians’ preferences converge on conditions
with T30 ≈ 1 s,; that late; lateral energy increases
the perception of spatiality, providing a positive balance
between clarity; acoustic support. However, longer
reverberation reduces comfort; executive control.

This study introduces a fourth-order Ambisonics-based decoding system to reproduce railway cabin running noise in a studio environment, enabling enhanced spatial impression and detailed sound field variation. Real-world operational noise was recorded using a multichannel fourth-order Ambisonics microphone (Eigenmike® EM32, mh acoustics LLC, USA), and the reproduced sound field was implemented through a multichannel loudspeaker system. The reproduced signals were quantitatively compared with the original operational noise in terms of spectral variation and waveform distortion.

Kseniya Kawko, a Munich- and London-based Tonmeister and
recording engineer specializing in classical music and
jazz, shares selections from her recent live and studio
recording and mixing projects, featuring leading orchestras
and jazz ensembles, and provides an introduction to the
artistic and production considerations behind immersive
formats.

This masterclass series, featuring remarkable recording
artists, is a chance to hear 3D audio at its best; as we
discuss qualities that make it truly worth the effort.

In each masterclass, we explore the new spatial
possibilities in recording and production, detailing also
this specific listening room, regarding ITU-R BS.1116
compliance and auditory envelopment (AEV) transparency.
Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay.

Immersive music is at a critical point in its development.
While production tools, workflows, and distribution models have begun to stabilise, the market remains fragile, and long-term adoption is far from guaranteed.

New immersive audio formats are now entering a field where creators, labels, and platforms have only recently started to commit resources and build confidence. This raises a fundamental question: does the introduction of additional formats strengthen immersive music, or does it increase uncertainty at a time when the market can least afford it?

This panel-based workshop focuses on immersive audio formats for music and explores whether current challenges are best addressed through new formats, or through innovation and improvement within existing ones.

Topics for discussion include:
- What are the most pressing problems facing immersive music today?
- Do emerging formats solve these problems, or risk fragmenting production, distribution, and listening experiences?
- How does format uncertainty affect investment, release strategies, and creative willingness, especially in smaller markets?
- What are the potential consequences if industry stakeholders decide that immersive music is too complex or too risky to prioritise?
- How do issues such as translation between loudspeaker-based and headphone listening fit into this broader picture?

The session is designed as an open, moderated discussion with panelists from production, research, mastering, education, and technology development.

Multichannel audio formats require an attention to
channels' correlations and sometimes special approach. In
this workshop, we would like to continue the discussion
started at AES Show 2025 in LA and show how you can use
different measurement tools to avoid certain problems in
the final mix. For example, the mutual influence between
the upper and main beds in immersive layout or problems in
the LFE channel and how to check the mix for the
correlation issues outside the sweet spot.

Taking the premiere and reperformance of the sci-tech symphonic suite Symphonic Coding as a case study, this paper discusses audio system organization, sound diffusion, and cross-venue migration in the co-performance of symphonic and electronic music. Given the challenges of diverse live inputs, real-time control of the electronic music part, concurrent recording and live streaming, and varying acoustic conditions, the article analyzes how a single workflow handles traditional miking, electronic music generation and control, live spatial diffusion, and multi-purpose distribution. The study is structured across four levels: system design requirements, signal organization, dual-venue implementation, and engineering discussion. It illustrates the development of an interconnected workflow comprising Content, Rendering, and Distribution Layers through mixing console organization, immersive rendering, and AoIP distribution. Results indicate that the significance of this work lies not in the reproduction of the listening experience of the entire performance, but in enabling the spatial presentation of the electronic music part to remain valid across different environments based on a consistent reference. Furthermore, the project enhances reperformance capability and production flexibility through the separation of functions, roles, and systems.

A “phantom image” is the illusion of an independent sound
source created by two or more loudspeakers. Most often
created by manipulating level differences between
stereophonic channels (aka, “panning”), the effect is used
to create a sense of auditory space between loudspeakers
; is largely taken for granted. In recent years,
surround; immersive audio systems have attempted to
utilize phantom image processing to render audio objects in
desired positions across multiple loudspeaker arrays. This
research examined the efficacy of phantom image perception
horizontally; vertically from an active listener
perspective. After listening to a target loudspeaker,
listeners (n = 442) were asked to move a phantom sound to a
position to match that of the target loudspeaker. The
listener’s phantom placement was then compared to the
target,; subjects were allowed “correct” their phantom
position. The horizontal experiment was based on a
standard stereophonic 60° loudspeaker array with the target
loudspeaker at 15° off center. The vertical experiment
utilized elevated loudspeakers in a 60° arc with the target
loudspeaker elevated 10° above the horizon (lower
loudspeaker). Results show nearly universal “undershoot” in
horizontal placement error on first attempts with gradual
improvement over trials that coalesced around the projected
target location. However, after repeated tries, final
perceptual image locations were spread over 2/3 of the
sound-field around the target loudspeaker. In the vertical
trials perceptual locations were spread across the entire
sound field in all three trials; failed to show any
patterns of coalescence around the target loudspeaker.

Headphones have become the dominant device for music
playback, and their design appears to have reached a
certain level of technical maturity. This workshop presents
an overview of the current state of the art in headphone
design and examines potential directions for future
technological development, addressing both acoustic
aspects—including transducer design—and signal-processing
approaches.

The workshop establishes a common foundation by introducing
the fundamentals of headphone acoustics and design
principles, together with a brief overview of the
historical development of headphones and the main headphone
types in use today.

Based on this foundation, the workshop addresses current
challenges and future development potential in headphone
technology, including:
• Transducer and acoustic development potential: materials,
design methodologies and simulation techniques, and
advances in measurement technology
• Characteristics of a high-quality headphone: What
differentiates an excellent headphone from a good one? To
what extent can headphone performance be characterized
using current measurement techniques, and what additional
metrics, target criteria, or perceptual considerations may
be required? What is the role of mechanical quality?
• Signal processing potential: from advanced noise
cancellation and augmented hearing to spatial audio
processing
• Challenges in realistic spatial reproduction: interaction
between auditory and visual environments
• Emerging wireless technologies: technologies such as UWB
and Bluetooth 6 offer not only increased bandwidth and
reduced latency but also the capability to localize the
playback device. What are the implications for conventional
headphone performance and for spatial audio applications?
• Changes in studio workflows: professional practice has
evolved from loudspeakers as the primary monitoring tools,
with headphones mainly used for detailed analysis, toward
headphones playing a central role in the early stages of
recording and mixing. What are the consequences of this
shift for headphone design and signal processing?
• Technically feasible but not yet commercialized
solutions: advanced headphone concepts that are achievable
with current technology but have not yet been adopted due
to economic or practical constraints

Streaming of immersive audio is known to western audiences
almost exclusively in the object-based format, Atmos,
developed by Dolby and employing lossy codecs to limit bit
rates. Other object-based formats like Sony 360 have had
limited success, and until recently there were no channel
based streamed versions. But this situation is changing,
as it has already done in Japan.

Responding to growing interest in very high quality
immersive music for both on-demand streaming and live
broadcast, two new services are now active that offer,
first, channel-based audio and second, audio streamed in
high res PCM. Binaural mixes, a range of PCM formats and
video are variously included, with extensions to portables,
loudspeakers, and home theater.

This workshop provides a forum for discussion of both the
genuine promise and the challenges in these new
initiatives. Included are the advantages of high
resolution over lossy; channel-based versus object-based;
the degree of adoption of transducers for multichannel;
adaptive bit rates; data sources; and the Japanese
approach; amongst others.

We present Binaspect, an open-source Python library for
binaural audio analysis, visualization,; feature
generation. Binaspect generates interpretable “azimuth
maps” by calculating modified interaural time; level
difference spectrograms,; clustering those
time-frequency (TF) bins into stable time-azimuth histogram
representations. This allows multiple active sources to
appear as distinct azimuthal clusters, while degradations
manifest as broadened, diffused, or shifted distributions.
Crucially, Binaspect operates blindly on audio, requiring
no prior knowledge of head models. These visualizations
enable researchers; engineers to observe how binaural
cues are degraded by codec; renderer design choices,
among other downstream processes. We demonstrate the tool
on bitrate ladders, ambisonic rendering,; VBAP source
positioning, where degradations are clearly revealed. In
addition to their diagnostic value, the proposed
representations can be exported as structured features
suitable for training machine learning models in quality
prediction, spatial audio classification,; other
binaural tasks. Binaspect is released under an open-source
license with full reproducibility scripts at: (link removed
for blind review)

Realistic spatial audio consistent with visual information
is essential for providing high immersion in Augmented
Reality (AR) environments. However, conventional
high-precision real-time acoustic simulations require
significant computational power, limiting their
implementation on standalone mobile VR devices such as the
Meta Quest. This study proposes a practical method to
enhance reverb realism using solely a standalone VR HMD,
without the need for additional external equipment. By
measuring impulse responses using a few hand claps in the
physical space, we interpolate room acoustic
parameters—specifically RT60; early/late energy
ratios—to reflect the environment's unique characteristics.
These extracted parameters are then applied to the VR
engine's built-in reverb effects, enabling dynamic,
location-aware real-time rendering with minimal
computational load. The proposed method demonstrates that a
brief calibration period of 3 to 5 minutes yields
significantly improved realism compared to static reverb
templates, offering an efficient; practical spatial
audio solution for mobile
AR environments.

The significance of individual versus generic HRTFs in
Virtual Audio can be difficult to ascertain given the
variety of scenarios; tasks related to the spatial
listening experience. Are we working on the most
significant 80% of the success or fine-tuning the last 5%
of the sound quality? When the VR users are blind it is
fair to assume that the quality of the spatial audio
becomes a critical; more important factor. This is the
challenge as we see it. In the present project, we will
investigate options for powerful game components relying on
spatialized sound, using effects that are natural for the
blind gamer. As a first step, we have implemented a test
platform, where different options for HRTFs will exist,;
where the on-boarding process shall reveal the optimal
solution for the given user. The test scenario is inspired
by a “classical” shooting down sound sources scenario,
where we will vary e.g. the task definition, success
criteria (hit zone, number of attempts; elapsed time) as
well as eavesdropping game internal parameters of more
complex nature (e.g. navigation trajectories). The results
will display the variation in normal seeing listeners;
produce normative data for later comparisons with blind
participants. The platform also includes options for simple
mirror-image room models,; standardized reverberation,
which will be used in later tests to learn, whether the
room acoustics may play a stronger role for the blind
gamers’ navigation; source identification, than for
normal seeing listeners.

This study investigates the relationship between the
robustness of crosstalk cancellation; the symmetry of
system configuration. Analytical results show that, when
the positions of the sound sources are fixed, increasing
asymmetry caused by deviations in the listener’s head
position or orientation leads to a reduction in system
robustness, whereas optimal performance is consistently
achieved in symmetric layouts. For asymmetric
configurations, we propose a method to optimize the axial
angles of the sound sources. This method leverages source
directivity patterns to adjust level differences along the
acoustic propagation paths, thereby improving system
robustness. Experiments confirm the effectiveness of the
proposed method in asymmetric crosstalk cancellation
systems, demonstrating enhanced robustness; yielding
higher binaural channel separation under slight listener
head movements.

This paper presents a comparative analysis of two immersive
recording techniques for classical music: the PCMA-3D
(Perspective Control Microphone Array); the Decca
Cuboid. While the Decca Cuboid relies primarily on
time-of-arrival differences to generate spatial
impressions, the PCMA-3D utilises intensity differences;
separates ambience from direct sound. A recording session
was conducted in a concert hall using a classical guitar
soloist; two distinct folk music ensembles to capture
performances simultaneously with both arrays. Subjective
evaluation was performed using a MUSHRA listening test with
18 participants, assessing parameters such as sensation of
space, localisation precision,; sound quality.
Statistical analysis reveals that while both systems
provide high-quality immersive experiences, the PCMA-3D
scored significantly higher in the sensation of space (p

Florian details the design of his brilliant and durable
Double-Ufix 3D mic array, capable of high resolution
outdoor recording. Attendees are treated to memorable
listening examples from natural and rural environments in
Austria and the Nordics.

This masterclass series, featuring remarkable recording
artists, is a chance to hear 3D audio at its best; as we
discuss qualities that make it truly worth the effort.

In each masterclass, we explore the new spatial
possibilities in recording and production, detailing also
this specific listening room, regarding ITU-R BS.1116
compliance and auditory envelopment (AEV) transparency.
Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay.

EMORSION is an exploratory study examining how film audio
design shapes audience emotion; immersion. It was
conducted using scenes from four films in the horror (2)
; drama (2) genres, with two mainstream; two
independent productions. For each scene, multiple
alternative audio mixes were created by systematically
manipulating three core aspects of audio design; frequency
(pitch), dynamics (loudness),; directionality (spatial
placement). Three audience groups were exposed to the
scenes in a cinema setting, with each group experiencing
either one manipulated audio mix; a control mix.
Audience responses were assessed through a multimodal
framework combining self-reported emotion; immersion via
a questionnaire,; physiological measures, including
heart rate monitoring; video-based motion tracking.
Results show that subtle changes in audio design
significantly affect emotional perception; immersion.
Unconventional mixes produced greater variability in
interpretation, while conventional immersive mixes led to
stronger agreement across audiences. Notably, participants
often reported perceived visual changes despite no
alterations to the visual content.

Jim and Ulrike have been recording in and for immersive
audio for broadcast, film and audiophile staples for
decades. They specialize in turning traditional acoustic
New York Studio recordings into vast spatial experiences.
The audiences will be experiencing the breathtaking
virtuosity of the likes of Jane Ira Bloom, the Secret Trio,
Donald Vega and large format ensembles under Franco
Ambrosetti and Jim Pugh.

This masterclass series, featuring remarkable recording
artists, is a chance to hear 3D audio at its best; as we
discuss qualities that make it truly worth the effort.

In each masterclass, we explore the new spatial
possibilities in recording and production, detailing also
this specific listening room, regarding ITU-R BS.1116
compliance and auditory envelopment (AEV) transparency.
Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay.

Eclipsa Audio, based on the Immersive Audio Model and
Format (IAMF) specification developed by members of the
Alliance for Open Media, represents an open and
royalty-free approach to immersive audio creation and
delivery. Eclipsa Audio provides a growing ecosystem for
producing and distributing spatial audio content, with
hardware integration and streaming platform support,
including YouTube, actively being rolled out. This panel
brings together practitioners, researchers, and engineers
directly involved in the development of IAMF and Eclipsa
Audio to inform the audio engineering community about the
current state of the format and its evolving toolkit.
Presenters will provide an overview of the specification's
design principles, discuss the collaborative research and
development effort behind the Open Audio Renderer (OAR) and
Open Audio Codec (OAC), introduce the content creation
tools currently available within the Eclipsa Audio
ecosystem, and propose practical workflows for immersive
audio production and delivery. The session will include
presentations followed by an open discussion addressing
format interoperability, integration with existing
production environments, listener experience
considerations, and future directions for development.
Audience participation is encouraged.

Live music environments can be simulated; evaluated
through spatial audio; augmented reality (AR)
technology. However, conducting perceptual studies on AR
environments can be challenging, as multiple design
considerations; uncontrolled variables come into play.
Hence, we developed Naviqual, a tool to create a spatial
audio quality map for a virtual live music environment. We
generated objective quality contour; polar maps to
predict the quality of experience (QoE) across listener
locations; directions respectively. We found that these
maps strongly aligned with perceptual evaluations by
normal-hearing listeners through listening tests. We also
found that binaural objective metrics; signal-to-noise
ratio both strongly predict QoE across listener
translations, with the former outperforming the latter in
predicting QoE across listener directions. Overall,
Naviqual provides a QoE map for virtual live music
environments robust across various listener locations;
directions, noise locations, music content,; room
acoustics.

Stefan reports from the front lines of recording, mixing,
and live streaming immersive music, highlighting the
technical and creative challenges of delivering
three-dimensional sound in real time. He shares practical
insights into spatial mixing, format compatibility, and the
realities of reliable immersive streaming across diverse
playback environments.

This masterclass series, featuring remarkable recording
artists, is a chance to hear 3D audio at its best; as we
discuss qualities that make it truly worth the effort.

In each masterclass, we explore the new spatial
possibilities in recording and production, detailing also
this specific listening room, regarding ITU-R BS.1116
compliance and auditory envelopment (AEV) transparency.
Seats are limited to keep playback variation at bay.