AES Europe 2025

In today's era, 3D audio enables us to craft sounds akin to how composers have created sonic landscapes with orchestras for centuries. We achieve significantly higher spatial precision than conventional stereo thanks to advanced loudspeaker setups like 7.1.4 and 9.1.6. This means that sounds become sharper, more plastic, and thus plausible – like the transition from HD to 8K in the visual realm, yielding an image virtually indistinguishable from looking out of a window.

In the first part of his contribution, Lasse Nipkow introduces a specialized microphone technique that captures instruments in space as if the musicians were right in front of us. This forms the basis for capturing the unique timbres of the instruments while ensuring that the sounds remain as pure as possible for the mix.

In the second part of his contribution, Nipkow elucidates the parallels between classical orchestras and modern pop or singer-songwriter productions. He demonstrates how composers of yesteryear shaped their sounds for concert performances – like our studio practices today with double tracking. Using sound examples, he illustrates how sounds can establish an auditory connection between loudspeakers, thus creating a sound body distinct from individual instruments that stand out solitarily.