Start With ICST Ambisonics Plugins

New to spatial audio or to the ICST plugins? Follow these four steps in order — each one builds on the previous and takes you from zero to a working Ambisonics session in REAPER.

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🎛️ Your path to spatial audio in REAPER

Estimated time: 1–2 hours end to end. All tools are free and open source.

  1. 1

    Understand Ambisonics — the concepts

    B-Format, HOA orders, ACN/SN3D, encoder vs. decoder — the 15-minute read that makes everything else click. Includes a signal flow diagram showing the path from mono source to speakers or binaural output.

    Ambisonics 101 →
  2. 2

    Install the plugins

    macOS and Windows instructions — VST3/AU install paths, REAPER rescan, Gatekeeper fix on macOS. Also covers ReaPack and SWS extension setup.

    Installation Guide → Download from GitHub →
  3. 3

    Build your first session — step by step

    The full walkthrough: set up a B-Format bus, add the MultiEncoder, configure the decoder for speakers or binaural, check levels, render. With screenshots and annotated GIFs at every step.

    Step-by-Step Setup → Quick Start (5 min) →
  4. 4

    Go deeper — tutorials and references

    OSC control, multi-decoder mode, group panning, DAW bridging (Ableton + REAPER), controller integration (GyrOSC, GRAPES) — all in the tutorial library, filtered by difficulty.

    All Tutorials → OSC Syntax Reference → @ZHDK_ICST on YouTube →

Questions? Check the FAQ first — common installation issues, signal flow problems, and OSC troubleshooting are all covered there.