Spatial audio specialist TiMax has issues a new release of the TiMax panLab macOS spatialisation app. TiMax panLab 1.5 introduces quicker ways to build movement, expanded console compatibility and 3D Panner and workflow refinements.
The new Sequence Shape Palette gives designers an additional route to create movement alongside the established path-drawing method. Rather than drawing a path by hand, users can now generate a Sequence from a ready-made shape, including circles, squares, triangles and 2D or 3D spirals.
The shape previews live in the 3D Panner where size, node density, duration and rotation can be adjusted and dragged into position anywhere in the space. A companion bounding-box tool lets a completed Sequence be reshaped as a whole, scaling its movement path across single or multiple axes via corner and edge handles.
Expanded console support now incorporates the Behringer Wing range. In the same manner as the existing Yamaha integration, Wing buses can be assigned either as loudspeaker outputs or as pannable input sources, giving users another route to object-based spatialisation on hardware they already own.
Several enhancements sharpen the 3D Panner itself – the camera now keeps the floor fully framed throughout the orbit, settling it naturally into view as the angle shifts from plan to near-ground without manual zooming. Sequence nodes are easier to read at a glance, with selected nodes carrying a blue halo and start and end points marked in red, while speaker labels stay hidden until hovered when the Panner is locked, keeping the view uncluttered.
Sequence editing and playback functionality has also been refined. Individual nodes can now be deleted or have their duration edited directly via right-click, and playback tracks specified total durations far more accurately. A new Update Current button lets designers save changes straight back to the last recalled Snapshot, while Snapshot Recall Scope changes can be applied across multiple Sources in bulk. The update further improves the smoothness of live Sequence playback and resolves several crashes, including one affecting 3D Panner rendering.
‘This release is all about giving designers more creative speed without adding complexity,’ says TiMax Product and Software Manager, Dan Higgott. ‘Whether you’re sketching movement from a shape, reshaping a whole path in seconds or bringing a Behringer Wing into a spatial workflow, the goal is to keep spatial audio accessible and simple to use.’
TiMax panLab 1.5 is available now. There is free seven-day trial of the Ultimate licence, with then a variety of licence options available beyond the trial period.