Show HN: Audiocube – A 3D DAW for Spatial Audio

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Spatial audio formats & head‑tracking

  • Commenters ask about formats that store 3D object positions for head‑tracked playback on devices like AirPods.
  • Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, MPEG‑H 3D Audio, and higher‑order ambisonics are cited as existing object/field‑based solutions.
  • Some suggest rolling your own via head‑tracking + HRTF processing; VR engines (e.g., Meta’s spatial audio, Steam Audio) are mentioned as strong toolchains.
  • Several people report mixed experiences: some hardware (e.g., HoloLens) feels convincingly “behind/above,” others (AirPods, Quest) often don’t.

Motivation and engine design

  • Audiocube is explicitly a reaction to clunky Atmos/ambisonic workflows and limited control in existing plugins, especially the inability to freely move the listener in relation to moving sources.
  • It’s built in Unity but uses a custom spatializer/acoustic engine for reflections, occlusion, and more advanced behavior than the default audio system.

Current capabilities & limitations

  • Today it exports only binaural stereo WAV, with strong emphasis on localization quality.
  • Multichannel output (5.1, 7.1, Atmos‑style targets) is under active development and framed as a short‑term priority.
  • Offline rendering is not yet available; physics and audio are tied to frame rate, so decoupling will require significant work.
  • Very low latency is claimed (down to ~20 audio samples), though full real‑time input and head‑tracked “listener apps” are still in progress.
  • Room/acoustic treatment modeling is rudimentary: reflections exist, but absorption and detailed frequency analysis are not yet implemented.

Integration with other tools

  • There is no VST/AU or MIDI support; Audiocube is positioned as a companion 3D environment rather than a full DAW.
  • Many commenters argue that some kind of VST/bridge/ReWire‑style routing is essential so existing DAWs and instruments can feed it. The author is researching a multichannel audio bridge.

Use cases and market questions

  • Proposed uses: orchestral “virtual halls,” environmental scenes (subways, tunnels), performance‑space modeling, installations, theater, venue design, crime‑scene reconstruction, industrial noise analysis.
  • Some see strong prosumer/pro‑audio potential if robust multichannel/Atmos export arrives; others doubt the business viability of a closed, binaural‑only tool and suggest open‑source or deeper integration with professional surround workflows.
  • Licensing, piracy, and friction (account‑required downloads, Safari issues) are noted as practical concerns.