Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts
Ambisonics @ ICST - Tools, Tutorials, and Studio for Spatial Sound
This site is for composers, sound designers, students, and researchers who want to work with spatial sound, whether they are getting started or already advanced. It combines open tools with practical studio workflows and artistic practice.
Use Tutorials for step-by-step setup and production workflows. Use Studio Cases for residency context, listening sessions, and studio updates.
How to use this site?
Two short entry paths:
- Technical path: Start with Quick Start, continue with Step by Step Setup, then move to Tutorials for reproducible workflows.
- Artistic path: Start with Ascolta and Audio Examples, then jump to Studio Cases and Residencies for production context and artistic practice.
Start by Audience
For Beginners
A short entry point into setup, signal flow, and first projects with ICST Ambisonics.
For ICST Residents
Studio context, residency workflows, and production infrastructure on site.
For Ambisonics Nerds
Technical depth on decoder logic, OSC workflows, and production details.
Mobile Quick Access
Residencies
Equipment
New: Ambisonics 101
A compact entry point with the basics of Ambisonics, B-format, typical setups, and headphone-vs.-loudspeaker workflows.
→ Ambisonics 101
The ICST Ambisonics Plugins (Reaper DAW)
The ICST Ambisonics Plugins encode and decode Ambisonics B-Format and provide spatial audio production tools for REAPER DAW — free and open source.
Developed at ZHdK Zurich, this site brings together plugin documentation, tutorials, and a living practice: international composers work in our studio through artist residencies, and the public is invited to acousmatic listening sessions (Ascolta). All tools are format-agnostic and built on the open B-Format standard.
Info at ZHdK: https://www.zhdk.ch/forschungsprojekt/icst-ambisonics-plugins-555245
The Ambisonics Tools (Max 8.0)
Info at ZHdK: https://www.zhdk.ch/en/research/icst/software-downloads-5379/downloads-icst-tools-for-maxmsp-5385
©2026 ICST
Latest Posts
ICST KOMPOSITIONSSTUDIO SOFTWARE
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts For whom: Level: All levels | Audience: Composer, Student, Researcher, Studio visitor. Software and plugin environment for production at the ICST Mac Pro. Recommended DAWs For Ambisonics and multichannel production, ICST primarily works with Reaper and Ardour. Reaper Ardour Spatial Audio Stack Core Ambisonics toolchain across ICST plugins, IEM, ATK, Spat, and related ecosystems. ICST Plugins ICST Max Tools Downloads Software Inventory (Accordion) Audio Analysis & Editors RX iZotope Sonic Visualiser SPEAR TwistedWave GRM Tools Complete Ambisonics & Spatial Audio ICST Ambisonics Plugins ICST Ambisonics Tools (Max) IEM Plugin Suite ATK Ambisonics Toolkit ambiX Harpex Panoramix / Spat mcfx DAW, Programming, and Utilities Ableton Live 12 Reaper Ardour Logic Pro Max SuperCollider Csound Faust Pd Dante Controller / Via / Virtual Soundcard Notation, IRCAM, and OSC Tools Sibelius MuseScore Finale IRCAM SPAT / PANORAMIX / OPENMUSIC IanniX INScore ToscA Further Links Equipment Regie Speaker Settings Downloads Residencies ©2025 ICST
ICST MULTIENCODER – GROUP ANIMATION
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts Group Animation For whom: Level: Intermediate | Audience: Composer, Live performer. The ICST Multi-Ambisonics Encoder v.2+ features a Group Animation tool for dynamically manipulating grouped audio sources in the Radar Display. By selecting a group point and holding Option (Alt) on Mac, you unlock advanced functions like group animation and group stretch, enabling synchronized movement and transformation of multiple sources for enhanced 3D spatialization.
#04 ASCOLTA ACOUSMATIC LISTENING SESSION
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts #04 ascolta Acousmatic Listening Session For whom: Level: All levels | Audience: Composer, Student, Researcher, Studio visitor. Concert Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 18:00 Toni-Areal, ICST-Kompositionsstudio (3.D02, Ebene 3) Pfingstweidstrasse 96, 8005 Zürich Free admission GLOCKEN ‘Ringing in’ with the church bells of the Diessenhofen/TG Reformed Church. It is mentioned for the first time in the document of 27.03.757. Its main patron is St. Dionysius (1517 “Churches Sant Dionysius). The five bells were cast in 1883 by the bell foundry Keller in Zurich. and produce a pure B major chord.
ICST KOMPOSITIONSSTUDIO REGIE
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts Overview of the ICST Composition Studio For whom: Level: All levels | Audience: Composer, Student, Researcher, Studio visitor. Status April 2023 Direction Table A: The LSB is the central control panel for routing and managing all audio components. B: The Extron panel provides convenient control of all video and power components. Work With Your Laptop Prepare audio and video drivers before arriving at the studio.
ICST AMBIPLUGINS & GRAPES – 3D CONTROL
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts For whom: Level: Intermediate | Audience: Spatial performer, controller-based workflow user. Grapes 3D Control is a handy addition to the ICST Ambisonics plugins. Grapes come as a standalone and VST3 and can be operated directly in the DAW (Reaper) in sync. Advantages of Grapes 3D Control A major advantage of this method is that the 3D spatial sound control does not have to be recorded in the DAW. Instead, it is sent to the ICST AmbiEncoders via OSC from Grapes. This means that the spatial design remains flexible and can also be interpreted with other spatialization tools such as LISA, Dolby Atmos or binaural audio playback.
#05 ASCOLTA ACOUSMATIC LISTENING SESSION
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts #05 ascolta Acousmatic Listening Session For whom: Level: All levels | Audience: Composer, Student, Researcher, Studio visitor. Concert Tuesday, March 14, 2023, 18:00 Toni-Areal, ICST-Kompositionsstudio (3.D02, Ebene 3) Pfingstweidstrasse 96, 8005 Zürich Free admission Field-Recordings & Soundscapes Philip Samartzis (ICST Artist in Residency 2019) Atmospheres & Disturbances Dur: 28.30 In 2019, Philip received a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation to conduct research at the High Altitude Research Center on the Jungfraujoch. This is the first time either organization has supported an artist-researcher under their respective programs, demonstrating a growing awareness of art’s ability to advocate for rare and endangered ecologies. Philip’s high-alpine research has been featured on DW Radio, Swiss Info, and Les Temps news services and exhibited in China and Japan (2019) and Switzerland (2021). It was also featured in an exhibition titled Sampling the Future (2021) at NGV Australia.
ICST KOMPOSITIONSSTUDIO AMBISONICS SETTING
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts For whom: Level: All levels | Audience: Composer, Student, Researcher, Studio visitor. Ambisonics - speaker - setting and coordinates Example for „ICST_AmbiDecoder 3.1.0" VST3 (2025) The Studio Room is nearly 7m length, 7m bright and 7m hight. Speaker-Coordinates for the “ICST Composer Studio” Coordinate: Multi-Decoder-Setting (example) Speakers 1 - 17 –> channels 1- 17 (Speaker 17 = voice of God) Sub/LFE –> channel 18
ICST AMBIPLUGINS & GYROSC
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts ICST MultiEncoder and iOS GyrOSC.app GyrOSC is a lightweight utility that sends motion sensor data (from your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad) over a local wireless network to any OSC-compatible host application. It allows you to control live audio or video applications using your device’s built-in gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, and altimeter. The following GIF demonstrates how the ICST AmbiEncoder receives OSC data from the GyrOSC app.
#06 ASCOLTA ACOUSMATIC LISTENING SESSION
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts #06 ascolta Acousmatic Listening Session For whom: Level: All levels | Audience: Composer, Student, Researcher, Studio visitor. Concert Tuesday, April 4, 2023, 18:00 Toni-Areal, ICST-Kompositionsstudio (3.D02, Ebene 3) Pfingstweidstrasse 96, 8005 Zürich Free admission Zbigniew Karkowski (Poland/Japan) Title: _no name_ Dur: 60' Description: Zbigniew Karkowski (Poland/Japan) The Polish composer Zbigniew Karkowski, who died all too soon in 2013 and lived in Japan, is and remains in a league of his own. In his almost elegiac pieces of micro-structured noise and rhythm settings, his entire visionary range comes to the fore, whether his pieces were created with a laptop or with electroacoustic means. He studied composition at the National Academy of Music in Gothenburg, Sweden, aesthetics of modern music at the University of Gothenburg, and computer music at the Chalmers University of Technology. After completing his studies in Sweden, he studied sonology for a year at the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague, The Netherlands. For over 20 years, he was active in the field of experimental electronic music, composing pieces for a full orchestra, an opera, and several chamber music pieces. In 2008 Zbigniew Karkowski was a guest at ICST and realized the piece ‘No name’ in Ambisonics. ICST performed this piece on Friday 03.10.2008 at the Walchenturm in Zurich. We can expect lively noise attacks and sizzling groans. His music is a timeless oeuvre, disturbing and soothing, eruptive and static. Zbigniew Karkowski im Walchenturm Zürich (2008)
ABLETON LIVE & ICST AMBISONICS INTEGRATION
Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts AbletonLive to ICST Ambisonics MultiEncoder in Reaper For whom: Level: Advanced | Audience: Ableton/Reaper hybrid producer. This tutorial provides a detailed guide to recording 7th-Order Ambisonics using Ableton Live and Reaper. It is aimed at users with a basic knowledge of both programs. If you are familiar with the concepts of Ableton Live, Reaper, and Ambisonics, the steps should be straightforward. Otherwise, some sections may be challenging. In this case, it is recommended that you first learn the basics of this software and Ambisonics technology.