Hi,
basically I have the same problem as described in this post:
(“No audio at all when playing multichannel files with stereo output configuration” [the forum included a beautiful link to this forum thread, but doesn’t allow posting it :(] )
which was posted for WL11. I can patch a similar solution (“Channel configuration Filter: All Speaker Connections” instead of “Channel configuration: Universal”) but it does not work. I still get no audio output.
In a bit more detail: when I insert Steinberg Ambisonics decoder, I get asked about output configuration of the plugin, where I can select stereo, which makes the master go from 4 channels to 2 channels and I hear audio. When instead I insert a third party decoder (IEM binaural decoder) the channel count is still 4 channels, with no audio coming out of channels 3 and 4. (working with 1st order, 4 channel B-format Ambisonics here) This audio I cannot hear, even though I followed channel configuration suggested in the aforementioned thread.
Workaround 1: activate “mix to stereo” in master section. What is this actually doing? do I hear overlap between channels? right now I am listening on laptop testing out stuff in no critical listening environment. Gemini tells me there is a 6dB attenuation involved. Where does that happen? seems like a possible hack, when output should be a stereo file.
Workaround 2: define the channel configuration as “before Playback Processing”. This way I can have my 3rd party ambisonics decoder in my master effect chain and still hear the signal. This hack can also work in the same situation hack 1 would work, with the benefit that my levels are untouched.
HOWEVER: If I want to master an Ambisonics file into an ambisonics file, I want to have the possibility to A: select a stereo Output Bus with my IEM binaural decoder as effect on playback processing - that means the channel routing must happen AFTER the playback processing. then, B: for situations where I am on the go and do not have my headphone connected, I would prefer to choose a different Output bus, where Channel 1 plays to both L and R channels of the interface (since first channel usually is omni it makes as a good reference when quickly clicking through material) With no Ambisonics decoder in playback processing. or C: first and second channel into a mid side decoder, to see how well the Ambisonics master works with this easy decoding strategy.
Ideal scenario: Have the speaker arrangement method route channels of audio to audio interface channels and ignore if some channels are not possible to hear. Just play the ones that are patched.
Is this a bug? should this still work? How can I have control over channel count and patching inside the master chain?