Immersive audio specialist Areal has unveiled the Upmix Engine hardware outboard following five years’ development and testing at several editions of the Tomorrowland EDM festival turning DJ mixes into multidimensional audio.
The Upmix Engine is the first release from Areal, a Belgium-based developer and manufacturer of immersive audio technologies. Powered by the RISE (Realtime Immersive Stereo Expansion) algorithm, the Upmix Engine converts stereo content into immersive audio by intelligently redistributing spectral elements across multiple channels. With low latency from input to output, the engine permits real time upmixing of stereo performances and recordings in live sound, corporate A/V and broadcast scenarios.
‘We developed the Upmix Engine to create dynamic, enveloping live experiences from stereo performances,’ says Areal co-founder, Pieter Doms. ‘Housing dual upmixing cores in a dedicated hardware platform gives us the power to overcome the unwanted effects and latency issues encountered with software-based upmixing solutions. By bridging the gap between stereo and spatial audio we want to maximise the potential of existing immersive loudspeaker systems.’
The Upmix Engine is compatible with all loudspeaker brands, and supports 5.1, 7.1, 7.1.4 and custom arrays without needing multitrack stems or object-based audio. Areal’s FocusField technology allows the spatial image to be defined and steered to fit the application, while LF Warp functionality enhances low-frequency depth and impact. The engine’s I/O includes Dante, AES3, AVB, Madi and balanced analogue connectivity for integration with multiple workflows.
The company is finalising international distribution partnerships in preparation for initial shipments of from March 2026.