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Render B-Format in REAPER

Level: Beginner | Audience: Composer, technician, student, studio user.

Use this page when you want the shortest reliable path to a clean Ambisonics export from REAPER. The goal is simple: render the Bformat Master, not the decoder output.

What you will achieve

By the end, you will have:

  • a correct B-format export from the Bformat Master
  • the correct channel count for your HOA order
  • a reusable metadata note for project handover and later verification

REAPER tutorial: render B-format correctly

Use this short REAPER sequence for a clean Ambisonics export:

  1. Set the Bformat Master track to Solo.
  2. Open File -> Render.
  3. Choose Source: Stems (selected tracks) or the equivalent track-based render mode.
  4. Select Bformat Master as the render target.
  5. Set Sample rate to 48000.
  6. Choose Multichannel WAV / RF64 as the output format.
  7. Set the channel count to match your HOA order:
    • 4 channels for FOA / 1st order
    • 9 channels for 2nd order
    • 16 channels for 3rd order
    • up to 64 channels for 7th order
  8. Render one short test file first, then re-import it into REAPER and verify playback through the decoder or binaural path.

Channel-count quick reference

HOA orderChannels
1st order / FOA4
2nd order9
3rd order16
4th order25
5th order36
6th order49
7th order64

Meta text inside REAPER

Keep a short export note inside Project Settings -> Notes or in a session text file next to the render. This makes handover and later verification much easier.

Suggested meta text:

Render: B-format master
Format: ambiX (ACN / SN3D)
Sample rate: 48000 Hz
Channels: 64
HOA order: 7th
Source track: BFORMAT_MASTER
Decoder preset used for monitoring: [speaker preset name]
Binaural check: yes / no
Filename: scene01_O7_take01.wav
Notes: rendered from B-format master, not decoder output

Common mistakes

  • Rendering the decoder output instead of the Bformat Master
  • Using the wrong channel count for the selected HOA order
  • Forgetting to document whether monitoring was checked on speakers, headphones, or both
  • Delivering a file without clear order and take information in the filename
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