Sorry for the delayed response, let me jump in on a few of these!
Thank you
@BACCH Labs for your reply. I have a question - Theoretica's BACCH license gives you one year of upgrades and support. How many years of updates can we expect from u-BACCH, and what is the renewal fee?
I am quite disappointed that there is no version of c-BACCH planned for Windows.
@Sal1950, there are a few good reasons to consider BACCH over a multichannel system. The main one is lack of availability of music available in multichannel format, whereas BACCH processing can improve the immersive experience of any music you throw at it, except mono. Then, some room configurations do not support multichannel rear speakers, like mine. And for me, I have an active system controlled by DSP and an 8 channel DAC just to drive the front two speakers. Adding another 3 speakers would mean purchase of a 16 channel DAC, and those are not cheap. It would mean a massive increase in system complexity, which I am not prepared to deal with for so little benefit (see lack of music).
RE: Support
As long as we are updating the uBACCH and optimizing it for new operating systems, you’ll receive those updates for free. Any optimizations to the algorithm or the plugin will also be free. We won’t make a uBACCH 2.0 that you need to buy and upgrade to, as these filters have already been perfected in many ways, and additional functionality doesn't make much sense. Some additional functionality would be lower latency or asymmetrical L/R angles, and I'd imagine these would be free updates as well.
And support is as simple as messaging us, which we offer to customers and non customers! So I don’t see any limitations on any of these, certainly not just a year. Theoretica’s BACCH-dSP is quite different — this is at the forefront of spatial audio technology and the different softwares, especially higher level versions, are constantly receiving updates. There’s some training required to understand and use the software’s vast functionalities properly. All of this doesn’t really don’t apply to u-BACCH, and there’s much less support to be had! So, we don’t need to limit it. Hope that makes sense!
RE: BACCH vs Surround (vs other spatial effects)
Plugins like these are actively adjusting the Master/Mix and its width, spaciousness, etc. BACCH is an algorithm that's goal is purely to cancel out the speaker locations and allow you to hear all these cues as if you're experiencing them in real life, enhanced spaciousness or not. So they are very different, and I'd actually gander you could use these effects before BACCH to increase immersion, if so wanted.
BACCH isn't a widener or enhancer, it's technically a "stereo purifier" performing (patented) perfect, uncolored crosstalk cancellation. We don't touch or upmix the master recording, we simply let you hear it as if your speakers had no crosstalk, were perfectly directional (which is physically impossible), or if you were to put a mattress in between them.
For this reason, whenever sensitive artists and audio engineers hear BACCH, they actually love it. It's still their recording and mix, it's still their placement of instruments within a space, you just get this image that's somewhere in between headphones and speakers, out around you, as if you're inside the recording. The balance, tonality, ambience, and image are all untouched, yet purified for speaker playback.
I don't mean to be sarcastic but for all the time, effort, and perhaps money some of you put into these
phasey attempts at creating an immersive audio experience, Maybe it's time to start thinking about a real multich
surround system? Todays 4, 5.1, and Atmos/Auro can supply an incredible immersive true discrete soundspace.
JMHO
I know this has already gone back and forth a bit, but my two cents:
Good point, and surround sound has its lovely merits, but there is a huge difference here -- BACCH Spatial audio is actually
more pleasing in many ways than surround. The largest reason for this beyond the obvious is
proximity. Surround sound, no matter if you have 7 speakers or 32, can never approach the listener closer than the shoebox space the speakers are placed on. While this can be an incredible, immserive experience, with just 2 speakers BACCH can place instruments right next to the listener, or a whisper up in the ear. We only have two ears to hear the daily 3D audio experience of real life, so ideally, you only need 2 speakers with the right research and technology; that technology is BACCH.
Not to mention, yes
@Keith_W great points, BACCH doesn't require special upmixing or remixing (although you can run binauralized versions of surround sound through it for a lovely, surround-like experience). Rather, some of the original stereo records of the 60s are some of the most impressive through it! With BACCH, you can rediscover your entire catalogue in a new way.
____
I guess this crosstalk correction system only works in one precise point, right?
I also assume that the two speakers must have a very very similar frequency and phase response.
How does this system compensate them otherwise?
Yes, BACCH is optimized for one listening position, but the beauty of its uncolored nature is you can't really tell if it's on or off when you're outside of the sweet spot. i.e., there's no penalty to leaving it on.
u-BACCH is essentially a series of BACCH filters made from virtual, point-source speakers symmetrically placed around the listener at different angles. So the closer you are to this "ideal" scenario of matched, symmetrical speakers the better the effect will be!
Hope that all helps!
-Cole
I have my last.fm profile linked in the signature. Go find me 5 albums from my library that I can get in mch that aren't classical or jazz. I'll happily donate $20 to ASR if you come up with such a list by the end of the week.
