It won't be that easy, but reading through the Unity documentation it also doesn't seem prohibitive even for small developers.
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Valve announces Steam Audio, a physics-based audio library
- Thread starter jmga
- Start date
Cosmo Clock 21
Banned
Is this basically PBR except for sounds?
Compsiox
Banned
Well thats good to hear at least
DouglasteR
Member
The terror and horror games give their thanks.
Valve is pushing next gen so much.
I can only be glady ! Thanks !
Valve is pushing next gen so much.
I can only be glady ! Thanks !
Compsiox
Banned
And it's implemented badly. At least that's how I feel.
Its really not that good, yeah.
ndawgdrake
Member
Would love this in BF1. The 3d audio is only convincing occasionally.
CountAntonius
Member
can't wait to hear this on my 20 dollar plantronics headset.
This is exactly what I expected when I heard Valve acquired Impulsonic.
There are two good object-based binaural audio middle-ware available now, which are Dolby Atmos and DTS Headphone: X. I'm not sure how many games use them yet though. I only have experience with Dolby Atmos in Overwatch, and the DTS Headhone: X in Elite: Dangerous.
Virtual surround sound solutions such as CMSS-3D, Dolby Headphones, Razer Surround, etc. are all just taking a 7.1/5.1 source and applying binaural algorithms to that. This is what you'll commonly find in headsets and sound cards. In my opinion, if you already have good open headphones, this is best avoided, as the result isn't good enough for the trade-off in sound quality.
Physics-based audio is different though. It's built on top of a object-based audio solution (sometimes referred to as 3D audio when used with binaural rendering), but takes propagation, occlusion, reflections, and so-on into account.
For the record, Overwatch appears to use Dolby Atmos as their object-based binaural audio foundation, and developed their own physics-based rendering on top of it. I'm not entirely sure how accurate their physics-based solution is compared to something like Steam Audio, but overall it seemed pretty good.
Great move by Valve!
There are two good object-based binaural audio middle-ware available now, which are Dolby Atmos and DTS Headphone: X. I'm not sure how many games use them yet though. I only have experience with Dolby Atmos in Overwatch, and the DTS Headhone: X in Elite: Dangerous.
Virtual surround sound solutions such as CMSS-3D, Dolby Headphones, Razer Surround, etc. are all just taking a 7.1/5.1 source and applying binaural algorithms to that. This is what you'll commonly find in headsets and sound cards. In my opinion, if you already have good open headphones, this is best avoided, as the result isn't good enough for the trade-off in sound quality.
Physics-based audio is different though. It's built on top of a object-based audio solution (sometimes referred to as 3D audio when used with binaural rendering), but takes propagation, occlusion, reflections, and so-on into account.
For the record, Overwatch appears to use Dolby Atmos as their object-based binaural audio foundation, and developed their own physics-based rendering on top of it. I'm not entirely sure how accurate their physics-based solution is compared to something like Steam Audio, but overall it seemed pretty good.
Great move by Valve!
No, more like
graphics -> VR (better inmersion because your vision sense reacts the same as in the real world, but you need a headset)
sound -> 3D audio (better inmersion because your hearing sense reacts the same as in the real world, but you need earphones)
8-Bit Sunset
Banned
Really impressed by the tech demo.
Valve leading the industry again.
Valve leading the industry again.
Candescence
Member
Amazing stuff. Hopefully this can pick up where Aureal left off.
But for some reason Chrome isn't letting me visit the github repo page, claiming it's a "deceptive site". Already reported the incorrect warning, but WTF Google.
But for some reason Chrome isn't letting me visit the github repo page, claiming it's a "deceptive site". Already reported the incorrect warning, but WTF Google.
TC McQueen
Member
That might be related to the Cloudflare info leak.
that is amazing!
Lister
Banned
I think Dolby Atmos is "just" 3D positional HRTF. This is physics based sound propagation + 3d positional HRTF.
Lister
Banned
One of the very few games that does. I don't think it supports 3D sound though, it gets cut down to 7.1 (correct me if wrong). However, they do sound occlusion, reverberation and materials interaction like this does. Don't knwo if it's to the same extent of fidelity/computaitonal efficiency though.
Lister
Banned
Well, having the libray be free and open, and integrated witht he msot popular game engines out there will definitely be a good conduit to seeing it in games.
It'll be up to devs to leverage it though.
inpHilltr8r
Member
FMOD is probably a lot cheaper (free before shipping would be an instant win for an indie), and basic is all you need to start with. Sound libraries come and go. I think I used Miles for my DOS game in the mid 90s, and that's still going. Then Scream on PS2 and PS3, which is internal Sony, also still going, and the most performant, but not cross platform. Current projects use Wwise, which has excellent tools, but you pay for it.
This Steam thing is next level again though, because it integrates world building, and everything I've seen so far has been completely custom at that level.
Ban Puncher
Member
IbizaPocholo
NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
Really cool.
ashecitism
Member
Sad Affleck
Member
Do any games use it or is it too early?
SeeNoWeevil
Member
You have got to be kidding. Not even close.
He is completely correct. You only have two ears, given accurate physical modelling in software binaural audio is inherently superior to any number of speakers.
Coreda
Member
This doesn't sound very realistic tbh. I've never heard an audio source blocked as much as that when moving merely a few feet to the side of a corner wall. Maybe there are other factors at play that aren't obvious.
SeeNoWeevil
Member
If you reduce it down to such simplistic terms, maybe. The reality is far from this though, currently. What comparisons have you done and with what equipment?
You are the one who is wrong.
Binaural audio -> any god damn 7.1/ 8.1/ X.1 headphones
Binaural audio done right simulates the whole sphere of sound sources around you.
SeeNoWeevil
Member
No one is talking about x.1 headphones.
My bad.
Anyway, 7.1 sound is still limited to the number of speakers and the room setup. And most 7.1 setups just simulates sound in the same Z axis.
A pair of headphones with the correct HRTF will give you the sound as it was supposed to be.
It's sad that old games (Aureal tech) and games that use OpenAL can give you good sound reproduction
Audio tech in gaming has been stagnated for too long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oSlbyLAksM
Aureal 3D tech demo before Creative destroyed the fuck out of them.
That demo has reflection on the walls disabled so they can show the occlusion.
Lucky Seven
Banned
Not if you scream longer than two hours.
As Arkanius said, that's with only the occlusion enabled just to demonstrate that single effect.
Here is a year old example of their tech without those constraints: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lprZmOgU-E
Credit: Melon Husk
Coreda
Member
Ah, there it is.
Lister
Banned
What you smoking there SeeNoWeevil? ;p
No 7.1 surround speaker system is going to match a good HRTF DSP with a source that is outputting full 3D sound and on a pair of good quality open design headphones (+ DAC + amp, etc).
A full ATMOS setup, perhaps (the only people who know for sure are the 4 rich guys who have one) might match it, I don't know, I've never actually experienced one, but then again I'm unlikely to install speakers on my floor and ceiling.
Now, if you are saying a 7.1 surround sound speaker system is going to provide you with a better soundstage than HRTF with a 7.1 source (not full 3d)... I would say yes. But the headphone experience can still be pretty damn amazing - especially with a set of open air headphones.