About & Impressum

ICST — Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology

The ICST is a research and artistic institute at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). For over two decades, ICST has developed tools, workflows, and educational frameworks for spatial audio — keeping this practice accessible, research-grounded, and open source.

Core areas: Ambisonics & spatial sound · Acoustic perception & algorithmic composition · Electroacoustic music & immersive media.

ICST Ambisonics Tools & Plugins

Two open-source toolsets have emerged from ICST’s research:

ICST Ambisonics Plugins — Free VST3/AU/LV2 plugin suite for Higher Order Ambisonics in REAPER. Encoder, decoder, multi-decoder, monitor, and animator. Currently at v3.2. Developed by Johannes Schütt, Christian Schweizer, and Axel Kolb.

ICST Ambisonics Tools — Max/MSP externals for live spatialisation, algorithmic sound design, and OSC integration. Available via ZHdK and running natively in Max 8.

Both toolsets are free and open source. Students and visiting artists work with the same infrastructure as the development and research team.

About This Site

Ambisonics.ch documents tools, workflows, and artistic practice around Ambisonics and spatial audio at the ICST Composition Studio. The site brings plugin documentation, compositional thinking, residency work, and listening practice together in one place.

I am Johannes Schütt, and I have been working with Ambisonics for over 30 years. This website grew out of shared studio practice with residents, students, and the ICST team, and is meant to offer others an accessible, motivating entry point into this field.

Impressum

Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST)
Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK)

Contact

Zürcher Hochschule der Künste
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology
Toni-Areal, Pfingstweidstraße 96
Postfach, CH-8031 Zürich

Administration ICST
Phone: +41 (0)43 446 55 00
Email
www.zhdk.ch/forschung/icst