For the past decade, audiophiles and game lovers have looked to companies like Dear Reality for the innovative, immersive audio experiences that drive next-gen gaming. The company has continually pushed the boundaries of sound, and in its latest venture, the immersive audio expert is set to transform the game audio design workflow with the launch of its “SPATIAL CONNECT for Wwise” project.
Developed in collaboration with game studios and with the backing of Audiokinetic, creators of the Wwise audio middleware, the SPATIAL CONNECT for Wwise project presents an entirely new way of producing audio for VR and AR games, as well as XR experiences. Traditionally, audio designers juggle between previewing their work in a VR headset and making modifications on a desktop PC—a process that can be a tedious exercise in task switching. But with SPATIAL CONNECT for Wwise, Dear Reality is upending that paradigm. Now, game audio engineers can mix their magic directly in the headset, interacting with spatial audio in the immersive environment itself. This revolutionary approach drastically reduces context switching and streamlines the workflow for XR productions.
In a statement, Christian Sander, CEO and co-founder of Dear Reality, heralded the SPATIAL CONNECT for Wwise project as a true game changer. “Eliminating the tiresome and time-consuming switching between the in-headset review of the VR experience and the Wwise editing process on a desktop screen is a dream come true for game audio designers,” Sander proclaimed. He detailed that audio designers would now have direct in-headset access to Wwise mixers and the ability to solo and mute, leading to an enhanced perception of the scene and intuitive manipulation of the 3D space.
The approach taken by Dear Reality is methodical and thoroughly researched. The company embarked on an exhaustive analysis of existing production workflows, painstakingly pinpointing the stages that could benefit from transfer to a virtual space. The result is a gesture-controlled audio mixing environment, where audio designers can readily control levels, attenuation curves, and maximum distances, instantly experiencing the final user experience and spatial mix. Moreover, the system facilitates the spotting of problematic sounds, presenting a comprehensive insight into the spatial audio session and visualization of active sound events, a feature that promises to significantly enhance the immersive gaming experience.
“We are very excited about the SPATIAL CONNECT for Wwise project and will soon be sharing more updates on the project,” Sander said, concluding his remarks on a hopeful note. He further extended an invitation to potential collaborators within the gaming and XR industries, laying the groundwork for a thrilling future in immersive audio. Dear Reality’s pioneering work is setting the stage for a revolution in game audio design, and the industry, as well as gamers worldwide, can’t wait to hear what’s next.
Join the Priority List
If you’re interested in updates on the project, join the priority list at https://www.dear-reality.com/wwise to stay tuned. You can obtain more background information in this blog article.
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