ICST AmbiPlugins in Logic Pro

Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology / (ICST) Zurich University of the Arts
Unfortunately, there is no way to use Ambisonics in Logic Pro! At least I haven't found one. A viable workflow is to compose in Logic and then export the tracks/stems to Reaper to create the 3rd order Ambisonics mix. To simplify the Ambisonics work, I recommend working with mono tracks only. Besides, stereo already does spatial placement in the stereo field. However, we can also place or move groups in Reaper with our multi-encoder, i.e., stereo audio.
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The idea of this workflow is to quickly create the Ambisonics spatialization in Reaper to produce the B format used for Ambisonics playback. Where the audio content is previously composed and created in Logic Pro.
The nice thing about Logic Pro is that all 'tracks' can be exported as individual 'audio files'!

All this must be installed for the workflow:


A quick solution

From 'Empty Session,' go to File: 'Project templates' and load the template 'ICST_AmibiPlugins_Multi_O3.'

Of course, you still need to adapt the template for their purposes!
After opening the template, we can import the audio tracks from Logic Pro into 'Source-01' to 'Source-64'. (Drag & drop into the Source-tracks) If you need more than 64 "Source Tracks," you can create a new "ICST-Encoder-Multi_o3".


Customize template audio routing:


Add more 'Sources' tracks and continue routing audio channels until the plugin limit is at 64 channels.

Detailed setup

1.Export Logic Pro to the Reaper DAW


So my workflow "from_Logic Pro _to_Reaper looks like this, see the following sketch.

Select all the tracks you want to send. Then go to File>Render select "Stems for selected track" or something similar in the top left. We will export each track as a separate WAV file. So you send your mixing engineer all the tracks as individual WAV files.
To export each track as separate WAV files with one click.

2. Prepare the Reaper-Session for the Ambisonics work.

1. in the above image, I have moved the session start at the "Start" marker to 1:00,000. The offset gives us a time offset time of one minute. Helpful to prepare the Ambisonics positions!
2. now we have to decide which Ambisonics-order we like to work?!
I recommend setting up the session with Ambisonics 3. Order for practical reasons.
3. After the last "source-audio-track," we now create the 'ICST Ambisonics Tracks' (3o-Ambisonics):
    • Import from "Track-templates" the 'ICST Decoder Track'
    • Next, import the 'ICST Bformat Master Track.'
    • Then import an 'ICST Encoder Track.'


  • Tip: import 'Track-templates' with 'right-click' in the empty space.
The 'Track-templates' are installed here: /Users/yourname/Library/Application\ Support/REAPER/TrackTemplates/ICST\ Ambisonics\ Plugins


3. Create the audio routing in Reaper


  1. Remove the 'Master' from all tracks!
Select all 'Sources-tracks'(A) and press 'alt & click' on 'Route' to deactivate the Master-bus. (B)
  • Route the audio 16channels from 'Encoder_o3-Multi' to the 'Bformat_o3' (Master) track.

  • The audio-routing in the 'ICST_DECODER_o3' looks like this; see the following Screenshot.
  • For the Binaural (Headphone), you try the Audio-routing like this:
  • Via the 'Master Track,' you can listen to the binaural mix in 3D audio.
Attention: Mute the 'Binaural Track' when listening through the speakers (Ambisonics decoder) or vice versa.

4.Routing the Source-audio to the 'ICST ENCODER_o3Multi'


We have to route the 'source-tracks' to the 'ICST Encoder_o3-Multi.'
The first image shows Before routing and in the following image after routing.
Now we can work in 3D audio and listen in Ambisonics thru the ICST-DECODER ore with Headphones in Binaural.

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