Abbey Road Spatial Audio Forum founder and Head of Audio Products Mirek Stiles hosted the first virtual Spatial Audio meet last week. The group which included composer Stephen Barton, Dr. Gavin Kearney and Delta Soundworks' Ana Monte, to name a few, discussed the future of sound and virtual music performances.

It was great to see some familiar faces and catch up with everyone in these strange times we find ourselves in. Topics explored included the Travis Scott Fortnite concert – looks like we will see more virtual events like this in the future. Currently the audio seems to be presented in stereo, but surly there is scope to add a 3D element to the sonics and get an improved audio match for the mesmerising visuals.

We also discussed the anticipated launch of the new Sony Audio Engine Tempest that will feature as part of the PlayStation 5 and promises next generation 3D audio. Will personalised HRTF’s improved user performance in First Person Shooter games? The pros and cons of the 8D audio fad were highlighted, it interesting this rather basic way of presenting 3D audio over headphones has taken off – but perhaps that’s the point, as although it is a gimmick it does prove a point of what 3D audio is in a way the listener can instantly recognise. We also highlighted some of the interesting High Order Ambisonic content to found on the HOAST library website – take a listen.

Thanks again to all the participants for their continued support, expertise and inspiration in this exciting field of audio.

Find out more about Abbey Road's exploration into Spatial Audio by clicking here.