Meyer Sound has announced the introduction of a new Spacemap® Go plugin for the VENUE 7 software platform and the Pro Tools® digital audio workstation. Available immediately, the free AAX plugin enables users of Avid VENUE™ | S6L systems to directly access functions of the Spacemap Go spatial sound design and live mixing tool from the console’s built-in touchscreen and control surface. In addition, the new plugin allows integration of Spacemap Go snapshots into the VENUE master show file to create virtual loudspeaker layouts and automate dynamic panning within the immersive sound field. Also, the parallel introduction of a plugin for Pro Tools, the de facto industry standard for digital audio workstations, allows creation of audio projects incorporating Spacemap Go functions.
When installed in VENUE 7, the Spacemap Go plugin functions as a client of the Spacemap server. When the console and the server (in the GALAXY™ Network Platform) are connected on the same network, setup is automatic. No IP addressing or port management is required. Functions accessible on the S6L control surface (touchscreen and CKM module knobs) include X/Y position, crossfade, spread, trajectory status (play/pause/stop) and trajectory rate for each channel. Also accessible are snapshot recall at the Channel, Mix and System levels as well as Mix Level for the global system.
“I’m thrilled to see Meyer Sound join the S6L platform with the addition of plugin control for Spacemap Go,” says Robert Scovill, renowned FOH engineer and Avid’s senior specialist for live sound products. “Having this level of object access at the channel strip of S6L, in conjunction with an iPad running Spacemap Go, provides much-needed control and flexibility when mixing in an immersive environment. Combined with the Milan network compatibility of S6L and the Meyer Sound GALAXY processor for easy audio transport, it’s a match made for the times.”
Spacemap Go is a spatial sound design and live mixing tool that leverages the processing power of Meyer Sound’s GALAXY Network Platform in an intuitive iPad app. Snapshots can be created in most DAWs and integrated into the S6L master show file for static placement or dynamic movement of sound. Snapshots can be fully automated, or synchronized in conjunction with live, on-the-fly trajectories using the console control surface, one or more iPads, or both simultaneously.
“I’m delighted by the way the two companies worked together on this project,” says Robb Allan, Avid principal product manager, live sound, and also a veteran FOH engineer. “I look forward to other joint ventures, particularly as we now share the same Milan-based network infrastructure.”
For Meyer Sound Technical Support Specialist Jose Gaudin, a principal designer of the plugin, the server-based architecture gives Spacemap Go exceptional flexibility as well as reliability in a live sound environment. “Because the plugin functions as a client, if the connection fails for any reason the server remains aware of what it is supposed to do. Also, because multiple clients can be running simultaneously — the console plus one or more iPads — this provides back up control and allows operation from multiple locations.”
Avid VENUE | S6L is a unified live sound platform with full software, hardware and show file compatibility across the entire line. Control of Waves and AAX plugins are supported from the console surface, and 128-tracks of built-in Pro Tools recording enable a time-saving Virtual Soundcheck capability.
VENUE | S6L (with the optional AVID 192 card) and the GALAXY Network Platform are certified by the Avnu Alliance as compliant with the AVB-based Milan network protocol. This unique combination of network interoperability, flexibility, and powerful features presents sound designers and live performance engineers with the industry’s most advanced toolset for creating and controlling immersive sound environments.
The new Spacemap Go plugin is compatible with VENUE 7 and later software and version 1.2.0 of the Spacemap Go app for iPad. The plugin is free and may be downloaded from the Meyer Sound website.
The Meyer Sound Spacemap Go plugin also is available in the AU and VST formats, enabling use across a variety of digital audio platforms.