Since its foundation in 2016, Embody has been working in personalized spatial audio experiences, trying to find the right partner to apply its technologies and reach the market. Now, the company announced a partnership with Audeze for the release of the Reveal+ personalized spatial plugin for Audeze headphones - also a long-standing development effort for the Californian headphone manufacturer.
Reveal+ is a premium edition of Audeze's existing Reveal plugin, adding Embody's Aural Mapping technology combined with a virtual studio modeling feature to create a personalized HRTF. Reveal+ allows users to create their own personalized spatial audio profiles, making it possible to expand the music’s soundstage way beyond stereo while wearing a headset.
At the heart of Embody’s Aural Map technology sits a machine learning algorithm that models the user's unique hearing anatomy, or Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF), from a single image of his right ear, captured on a smartphone and sent to the cloud. According to the company, creating a personalized spatial profile using the corresponding Aural Map iOS app is a one-time, frictionless process that takes less than 30 seconds.
Applications for the Audeze Reveal+ plugin are not yet clear, although the potential for users to apply it in binaural reproduction of Dolby Atmos content, or emerging spatial audio formats, like Creative Technology's Super X-Fi processing and Sony's 360 Reality Audio is an obvious one. Applying the unique personalization possibilities of the Audeze Reveal+ plugin for profissional monitoring is another interesting field.
"With the Audeze Reveal+ plugin, an audio producer or engineer mixing on an Audeze headphone can use personalized spatial profiles to enhance spatial imaging. And as a listener, it enables music lovers to enjoy the music of their favorite artist in its unaltered form. You are transported into the mix studio itself, without ever stepping foot into an actual studio," the Audeze announcement states. "Using Reveal+ and Audeze headphones, the expanded soundstage combined with a detailed room emulation model creates a realistic out-of-head listening experience and truly remarkable sound," they add.
The Reveal+ personalized spatial audio plugin works with any Digital Audio Workstation or audio player, and Embody has optimized the sound for every headphone model designed by Audeze.
The two companies have been promoting demonstrations at content production and music-oriented events and several award-winning film sound designers, music producers, and audio mixers have reacted positively to using this solution from Embody and Audeze. More information available from Embody also here: embody.co/audeze-reveal-plus to learn more.
The Audeze Reveal+ plugin will have a free 14-day trial version available and can be purchased for $199 at audeze.com/products/reveal
