T. K. Broderick

Until recently 3D sound was a novelty reserved for special uses and reaching a limited
audience, no medium in popular culture has been as inherently dependent upon spatial
audio as virtual reality. The widespread and standardized implementation of surround
sound in film brought cinema to a new level of immersion, but is limited to theatrical
exhibition and home theater systems. Today a considerable amount of content is
consumed on mobile devices and laptops which excludes the cinematic experience of
spatial sound. With the current rise of cinematic VR and the blurring line between
gaming and experiential VR, spatial audio is no longer just an added bonus, but rather
a necessity in designing immersive VR experiences. In this course we will explore the
emerging field of 3D sound design and for both 360 video and game engine-built VR
using a digital audio workstation, game engines, and 3D audio plugins.