ICST Ambisonics EcoSystem
The ICST Ambisonics EcoSystem is the umbrella term for all tools, packages and materials developed and maintained at ICST (ZHdK) for Higher-Order Ambisonics. Each component has its own versions and its own licence. The ICST Ambisonics Bundle is one of them: the preconfigured entry point into REAPER.
Warning
As of 2026-11-11. Components marked Beta are released for evaluation, not approved for production or teaching. Licence and status information applies to the linked version.
Bundle and EcoSystem
| ICST Ambisonics Bundle | ICST Ambisonics EcoSystem | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | One downloadable package (ICST_Ambi_Reaper) | Umbrella over all components |
| Contents | REAPER folder with toolbar, scripts, VST3 plugins, impulse responses and docs | Plugins, Max externals, bundle, motion tools, templates, layouts, archive, docs |
| Version | Own release number | None; components are versioned |
| Platform | macOS complete, Windows beta | Per component |
| Licence | Mixed, package licence still open | Each component keeps its licence |
Components
| Component | Contents | Platform / format | Status | Licence | Maintained in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICST Ambisonics Plugins (Core) | AmbiEncoder, AmbiEncoder_64, AmbiDecoder, MultiDecoder, Monitor, Animator | VST3, AU; LV2 experimental; macOS, Windows | Stable | GPL3 | schweizerweb/icst-ambisonics-plugins |
| ICST AmbiPlugins (Extended) | AmbiIRVerb, AmbiIRLayers, AmbiGran 16 | VST3; macOS, Windows | Beta, unsigned | Open; IRidesce material with its own rights notice | joambi/ICST-AmbiPlugins |
| ICST Ambisonics Tools for Max | ambiencode~, mc.ambiencode~, ambidecode~, ambipanning~, ambimonitor, ambicontrol and more | Max 8, Max Package Manager | Stable | Free | ICST / ZHdK |
ICST Ambisonics Bundle (ICST_Ambi_Reaper) | Portable REAPER folder: toolbar, Lua scripts, ICST and IEM VST3, SWS, js_ReaScriptAPI, ReaPack, docs | REAPER 7; macOS (Apple Silicon recommended), Windows | macOS complete, Windows beta untested | Mixed, package licence open | joambi/ICST-AmbiPlugins |
| ICST Animator | Timeline animation of source groups in the Multi-AmbiEncoder_64, scenes as XML | macOS, Windows | Docs released with Plugins 4.0 | Open | ICST |
| ICST Animator Choreographer | Desktop app that builds Animator scene XML in five steps; region import from REAPER via CSV; optional draft from a description with a local model (Ollama) | macOS; app unsigned | In development | GPL3 | ICST |
| Motion Map, Kristall Motion Map, Motion Markers | Motion shapes with a figure editor, crystal lattices and marker-based motion for AmbiEncoder_64 | REAPER Lua, Python 3 for OSC preview | Stable | Free | joambi/icst-ambisonics.github.io |
| HOA REAPER Template Pack | Session templates and HOA routing checklist | REAPER | Stable | Free | ICST |
| Speaker layouts and decoder settings | ICST Composition Studio, ICST DOM, ZHdK IA Space, Notam Studio 3 | XML, ZIP | Stable | Free | ICST |
| ICST B-Format Archive | Reference recordings in ambiX (ACN/SN3D) | WAV | Stable | Per work | ICST |
| Documentation | Plugin docs, tutorials, Ambisonics 101, workflow guide, resident guide | Web, PDF | Ongoing | Site licence | ambisonics.ch |
Third-party dependencies
| Component | Used in | Licence | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| IEM Plug-in Suite | Bundle (BinauralDecoder, HOA FX) | GPL3 | The binaural script uses the IEM BinauralDecoder; breaking changes from v1.16.0, check templates before updating |
| SWS, js_ReaScriptAPI, ReaPack | Bundle scripts | Free | Install manually on Windows |
| Python 3 | Motion Map, Kristall Motion Map | PSF | Only for the OSC preview |
