An overhaul of the OSC implementation in TiMax SoundHub spatial processor brings out-of-the-box compatibility with many third-party control solutions such as QLab, Space Controller and Nuendo.
The update ussued by spatial audio pioneer TiMax includes a bidirectional dictionary as well as support for the ADM-OSC standard, all wrapped into the latest software release for SoundHub, v6.11. This has enabled advanced, bespoke integrations with SSL consoles, Atlas show control and Grapes 3D Audio Control, as well as an enhancement of the integration between TiMax SoundHub and TiMax panLab’s v1.3, released simultaneously.
Solid State Logic has integrated OSC support for TiMax SoundHub with its latest software updates for the System T and SSL Live console platforms.
‘Tightly integrating with TiMax SoundHub not only allows key X, Y and Z positional information for SoundHub sources to be displayed and controlled from an SSL console,’ explains SSL Product Manager, Berny Carpenter.
‘Individual path parameters and unique SoundHub functions can also be controlled from the familiar SSL user interface. Providing this high level of integration means that users can easily configure, view and manage their system, wherever they are located.’
Atlas Show Control’s software platform for programming, synchronising and automating complex live events, offers precise real-time control over audio, video, lighting, and tracking systems, and so is a natural choice for interoperability with TiMax SoundHub.
‘The communication between Atlas and TiMax makes setting up both programs really fast,’ says sound designer, Gareth Fry, a user of both systems.. ‘Atlas allows us to program in a consistent and familiar environment across multiple shows regardless of which spatialisation engine we are using.’
Meanwhile, integration with the Grapes 3D Audio Control plug-in enables ready integration with any DAW-based workflow.
‘Testing Grapes 3D with TiMax SoundHub in the new TiMax Studio in Tileyard, London was a real highlight,’ says composer and sound ecologies, Felix Deufel. ‘The seamless integration saved setup time and let me focus on creativity – these powerful tools can maximise both efficiency and artistic potential. With the next Grapes 3D update adding direct TiMax preset integration, the workflow will be even faster and more effortless.’
Aligned integration between TiMax and third parties was dependent on mutual recognition of referenced coordinates. While TiMax SoundHub defined object positions using real-world coordinates – measured either in metres or feet – some third-party controllers used ‘normalised’ coordinates, typically ranging from -1 to 1. Using the recently launched Scaling Surfaces feature, TiMax SoundHub software bridges any divide for users by easily converting normalised coordinates to the absolute coordinate space.
TiMax SoundHub is noted for its accessibility and flexibility, and it was important to extend the same ethos to integrations with third-party control solutions. For this reason, in addition to supporting a range of OSC dictionaries, incoming OSC messages can be manually mapped to TiMax SoundHub commands.
‘With my personal experience of working in spatial-led shows, it was clear that integration into the creative workflow is critical for the ongoing success of TiMax SoundHub,’ says Product and Software Manager, Dan Higgott. ‘We’re thrilled to have SSL, Atlas and Grapes 3D support this roll-out, and we’re keen to work across the space with other parties.
‘I’m delighted with the progress that the TiMax software team have made in the past six months, and this latest development is another building block to making TiMax SoundHub the most comprehensive, accessible and flexible spatial audio solution on the market.’