u-BACCH Plug-In - Universal BACCH 3D for Speakers

 

u-BACCH Plug-In is a universal BACCH filter tuned solely by the angle of the speakers.

u-BACCH Plug-In simply requires user (or device) input of the angle of the speakers compared to the listener to create a spatial audio soundstage that approximates that of a measured (custom) c-BACCH filter.

This allows any user to create a spatial soundstage in seconds, simply by tuning by ear.

By using the speaker angle, we’re able to apply a virtually tuned BACCH filter to create spatial audio from any symmetrical stereo device or pair of speakers, such as:

  • Laptops

  • Tablets

  • Soundbars

  • Loudspeakers

  • Studio Speakers

  • Bluetooth Speakers

  • and more!

 

Available Now.

u-BACCH Plug-In is available as an audio plug-in for direct customer download, or within our SDKs or Audio Weaver for B2B integration.

 

u-BACCH Plug-In FAQ

What is a u-BACCH filter?

u-BACCH is actually a series of virtually created BACCH filters. u-BACCH assumes no specific room or speaker impulse, and instead focuses solely on the angle of symmetrical stereo devices and speakers to approximate a real measured BACCH filter. The result can come close to a measured custom BACCH (c-BACCH) filter if the speakers are well matched in frequency and phase response and the listening configuration/environment is symmetrical and balanced.

How is u-BACCH different from a measured BACCH filter?

u-BACCH is a series of BACCH filters created using virtual speakers. This makes the filter generic to any pair of speakers rather than specifically tuned for a device. u-BACCH only requires a minute to tune and set up, with no additional hardware, microphones, or software. On the customer side, u-BACCH is a breeze, and on the technical side, uBACCH can create spatial audio on devices BACCH Labs hasn’t measured yet.

How do I tune a u-BACCH Plug-In filter?

With every u-BACCH implementation we offer a knob or slider to adjust the angle of the filter to match your own device or speakers. While you can measure your stereo triangle to equate the angle, it’s actually much faster to measure by ear. The angle represented in u-BACCH is actually the half-span angle of the stereo triangle created between the two speakers and the listener. Meaning, if the angle at the listener is 60º for an equilateral setup, the half-span angle would be 30º.

An equilateral triangle between the listener and two speakers creates a 60º angle at the listener. Therefore the half-span angle of this setup is 30º.

We include specially designed pink noise files that allow you to quickly tune uBACCH. With a well-tuned filter, the ball of noise will sound close to your ear, but cleanly off to the left or right side. Simply play the noise and tune the filter until it is cleanly located outside of the speakers and off to the left or right side of your head.

When listening to an inappropriate u-BACCH filter for your device, the noise will sound less clearly localized, at the speaker, or generally ambiguous.

Here are some ballpark angles to get you started:

  • Tablet held horizontally: 10-15º

  • Laptop with speakers on either side of keyboard (e.g., MacBook): 12-18º

  • Laptop with speaker grill above keyboard: 8-14º

  • Studio monitors: 20-35º

  • Soundbar (from couch several meters away): 9-14º

Happy listening and enjoy your BACCH spatial audio!