3d-est
From AudioLexic
The 3D Enhanced Surround Technology (3D-EST) is a new way to create real 3D soundscapes developed by Luigi Agostini for A&G Soluzioni Digitali.
The first product that offers all the 3D-EST features in a unique package is the X-spat boX2, a modular hardware with digital AES/EBU in/out.
The philosophy at the base of this technology has been presented by Luigi in his book "Creating Soundscapes", 2007 Ed. Lulu.com, ISBN 978-1-4092-0036-9, and it is focused on provide a reliable and easy to use product to create 3D audio for any contest.
A brief history...
At the end of a Tetrapc TTN European Community Project called E.A.S.Y (Expandable Audio Spatialisation sYstem, 2001), A&G Soluzioni Digitali had acquired the rights of a technology patented in Italy and still in course of extension in the world: (WO/2003/015471) DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SIMULATION OF THE PRESENCE OF ONE OR MORE SOUND SOURCES IN VIRTUAL POSITIONS IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL ACOUSTIC SPACE. Working on this base, the company developed a first system composed by a PCI card and a Windows software. The I.M.E.A.S.Y system become quickly obsolete and in 2004 had been replaced by a card for the Apogee Electronics Rosetta 800, the Spatialisation X-series card.
From the ashes of that expansion card came out the first X-spat boX. The product, still available and used by a huge number of sound designer in all the world, will be soon discontinued because of the next release of X-spat boX2. Basically the new model add real-time floating-point calculated psycho-acoustic algorithms to the 3D soundscape, using a new software 3D user interface. Among the others you can find Spatialisation, ITD, Doppler, Elevation, HF Damping, Obscuration, source direction and Bell Factor. The possibility to freely set the number and the positions of the speakers used to reproduce the soundscape, makes 3D-EST the more practic solution for any kind of audio installation, live set or interactive applications. Adding a DTS HD Master Audio software encoder, the workstation is the perfect solution also for blu-ray and cinema production.