It was really nice to see a 13.1 bus available in Nuendo 6. But I had so much hoped for an unlimited bus size option where:
- the channels are routed to virtual loudspeakers specified by the the user
- monitoring is via a standard configuration in the control room setup
- mastering tools work linearly over the large bus just the same as over the current configurations.
The purpose of this would be to mix and master large spatial formats such as high order ambisonics and hybrid spatial arrays where the user already has spatial audio knowledge, specifies a custom defined bus and may also wish to combine material spatialised within Nuendo with material spatialised via other methods.
I’ve worked professionally with spatial audio for 20 years, moving away from Protools to Neundo 11 years ago, mainly due to the better handling of multichannel in the mastering process. Although the unlimited bus size option would be a less used feature to begin with, it would allow Nuendo to lead the way in the future of spatial audio.
The unlimited bus size option would be a fantastic complement to the fixed bus setups currently offered. Third party VST plugins would also spring up to enhance the workflow. For anyone rendering more that a 14ch source, Reaper is the only practical solution (in Nuendo the only option is to split the channels into groups: a nightmare to keep track of and near impossible to master without destroying the spatial motion). For many years I’ve adapted my own work arounds, but students get stuck with how time consuming these can be.
I’m very interested to know opinions and future plans in this direction.
Many thanks!
Natasha