Ambisonics - Control Room Downmix Presets missing??

Nuendo
#1

Going through steps to use Nuendo’s proprietary ambisonic tools using a multi-channel speaker configuration, as outlined here:

https://steinberg.help/nuendo/v8/en/cubase_nuendo/topics/surround_sound/surround_sound_ambisonics_speakers_monitoring_t.html#surround_sound_ambisonics_speakers_monitoring_t

Seems the full compliment of speaker configurations available via ‘Audio Connections (F4) - Control Room’ is not offered under Control Room Downmix Presets - currently it lists 12 of the 37 possible configurations.

Instruction No.2 “select the preset that matches your speaker setup” simply will not work unless you select one of the ‘chosen 12’. If you chose any of the others using 'Audio Connections (F4) - Control Room they are not offered in the CR Downmix drop-down menu.

Implication is you can only monitor ambisonically using one of the 12 speaker configurations offered.

Any clarification on why this is so and if it is likely to change in future version?

#2

Ambisonics allows sort of limitless loudspeaker configurations. 12 is not a lot, but, then again, where to put the limit?

I suggest that you have a look at the AllRADecoder, part of the IEM Plug-in Suite. You can easily configure the AllRADecoder to your specific loudspeaker array.

#3

thanks, yes indeed limitless, but in terms of the way Steinberg is doing things here, as usual, would be nice to understand their logic, because it’s not clear why it suggests doing something that it doesn’t actually allow you to do. Having to use control room routing to actually monitor the main output bus also seems convoluted to me.

thanks for the suggestion, i have those, and pretty much all the free 3rd-party stuff available, i was really just going through what’s doable working solely with Nuendo’s current ambisonic tool-set when I stumbled on this issue, curious if it’s by design of an oversight.

#4

If Steinberg would license the advanced decoding algorithms from Blue Ripple Sound, Harpex, Aalto COMPASS, or the already mentioned IEM AllRADecoder, they could easily have adequate decoders for all the 37 loudspeaker configurations, and then some, in time for Nuendo 10.