Chris Pfaff moderated the tech track session ‘Immersive Sound: How to Create Powerful Experiences’ on Thursday, March 13th from 11:30-12:30 pm in Salon K of the Hilton Austin Downtown with some of the industry’s leading next-gen audio experts, including Google’s Jani Huoponen, group product manager for immersive audio, Mirko Vogel, general manager, Canada, for Vaudeville Sound Group, and Sylvana Levy, founder of SLX Group.

Jani Huoponen detailed the development of Eclipsa, the audio format born out of the Open Media Alliance’s Immersive Audio Models & Formats (IAMF) specification for next-generation immersive audio.

Mirko Vogel detailed Vaudeville Sound Group’s approach to immersive audio for a range of media formats.

Sylvana Levy discussed producing immersive audio for experiential installations.

You can watch the entire session at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2g1VBkO29k

SXSW 2025 PANEL

IMMERSIVE SOUND: HOW TO CREATE POWERFUL EXPERIENCES

Immersive sound enables unparalleled connections between users and enhances experiences. A new generation of immersive sound technology includes sound objects, which are multichannel sound files captured and designed with specific techniques. These 3D sound environments complement visual experiences with immersive, or spatial, audio that enhances a wide range of industry products and services, including virtual and augmented reality, auditory healing for healthcare, architecture design, automotive design, media, entertainment, and many others.

Chris Pfaff moderated the SXSW 2024 panel – ‘How Immersive Sound Can Deliver Powerful Experiences’ – on Friday, March 15th at the Hilton Austin Downtown, with an expert panel consisting of Mirko Vogel, from Vaudeville Sound Group; Jani Houponen, from Google, and Sylvana Levy, from XRAgency.

Vogel discussed the use of ambisonics in designing immersive audio for a range of projects, including Vaudeville’s creation of the industry’s largest immersive sound library, for Shutterstock; immersive audio for VR, including a music video with artist Whipped Cream; the ‘AmazingWar Stories’ podcast, and more.

Huoponen discussed Google’s immersive audio work, including the Alliance for Open Media’s recent Immersive Audio Models and Formats (IAMF) specification, a major advance in immersive audio design.

Levy demonstrated her immersive audio work on hybrid virtual/live installations for venues.

The audience was also treated to Vaudeville’s IAMF-designed forest audio, which simulated multiple speakers for bird noises and environmental sounds.

You can listen to the full panel at:

https://vimeo.com/928115672/7d2e77e132?share=copy

Chris Pfaff moderated the ‘Virtual Theatre: The Metaverse Smashes the Four Walls’ session, which opened Day 2 of the Immerse Global Summit Miami, produced by the VR AR Association, on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, with an all-star panel, featuring:

• Alyssa Landry, Doubleeye Studios
• Brandon Powers, BP Projects
• Kiira Benzing, Doubleeye Studios
• Sylvana Levy, Sylvana Levy & Co.

The session opened with a salsa entrance – to Marc Anthony’s ‘Valió la Pena’ – that got the crowd up and dancing.