{"id":757,"date":"2016-10-07T15:40:16","date_gmt":"2016-10-07T14:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.brucewiggins.co.uk\/?p=757"},"modified":"2017-01-06T11:29:09","modified_gmt":"2017-01-06T11:29:09","slug":"youtube-spatial-audio-inverse-filter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brucewiggins.co.uk\/?p=757","title":{"rendered":"YouTube Spatial Audio Inverse Filter"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s been a little while since my last Ambisonics on YouTube post, so I thought I’d share a filter I’ve made to help make YouTube Ambisonics content sound better! \u00a0As you may have noticed, the audio that comes off YouTube once your spatial, Ambisonic, audio is uploaded is quite coloured compared to the original. \u00a0This is due to the Head Related Transfer Functions used in the modelling of the system. \u00a0If the HRTFs exactly model your own hearing system, then we wouldn’t notice it, but as they won’t, you will!<\/p>\n

In order to equalise the system, the same EQ curve just needs applying to all the Ambisonic channels equally before uploading to YouTube. \u00a0So, first, we need to find the average response of the system. \u00a0There could be a few methods for this, but the simple approach is to pan an impulse around the listener, storing the frequency response each time. \u00a0Sum these together, and average them in some way (I used an RMS type approach). \u00a0This is then an ‘average’ response of the system. \u00a0I then invert this system (adding delay as it’s non-minimum phase) and then decompose the filter into it’s minimum phase only response for the EQ (as that’s all we’re really interested in).<\/p>\n

To use this in your Reaper project, load the filter into ReaVerb (as an impulse file) and apply it to all four channels of your ambiX B-format before adding it to your video and uploading to YouTube. \u00a0As long as you do the same thing to each of the four B-format channels, it won’t affect the spatial aspects of the recording, just the frequency response. \u00a0A plot below shows the frequency response of YouTube and the generated inverse filter. \u00a0Note that I’ve used my measured YouTube filters for this, so there was no data above 16kHz. \u00a0To make this not make the inversion go a little crazy, I’ve assumed it’s flat after this point (YouTube filters out after this point anyway!)<\/p>\n

\"YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n

You can download the filter, if you’d like to try it, below.<\/p>\n

Inverse Filter for YouTube 1st Order Spatial Audio<\/a><\/p>\n

EDIT : Below is an inverse filter I’ve calculated from the Google Thrive Impulse Responses, rather than my measured IRs. \u00a0It’s very similar, frequency response wise, but should be a slightly better match with the algorithm YouTube is using. \u00a0The previous also had my DAC and ADC in the chain!<\/p>\n

Inverse Filter for YouTube Spatial Audio Created Directly from Google Thrive IRs<\/a><\/p>\n

The differences between the two inverse filters can be seen below (again, I’m leveling off the response to account for YouTube rolling off after around 16kHz).<\/p>\n

\"Measured<\/a><\/p>\n

For completeness, below are the inverse filters calculated right up to around 21.8kHz (where the anti-aliasing filters kick in in the Google Thrive data). \u00a0I can’t tell any difference, but I also can’t hear much above 16kHz, so I wouldn’t, would I!)<\/p>\n

Inverse Filter for YouTube’s Spatial Audio using Google Thrive IRs up to 21.8kHz<\/a><\/p>\n

Below is a graph of how the higher frequencies are boosted compared to the others:<\/p>\n

\"Inverse<\/a><\/p>\n

A demo of it working is below:<\/p>\n