{"id":344,"date":"2026-09-29T20:42:47","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T20:42:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fieldlog.net\/blog\/?p=344"},"modified":"2026-10-01T17:58:07","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T17:58:07","slug":"furtherafield-beta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fieldlog.net\/blog\/2026\/09\/furtherafield-beta\/","title":{"rendered":"Help test FurtherAfield: spatial listening for field recordists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since I’ve started field recording, I’ve had several, uh, discussions, online about what is best to target with recordings, headphones or speakers. A lot of times people default to speakers, at least with conventional microphones. Headphones tend to hang around getting hand-me-downs like a younger sibling, well, unless someone goes out and buys one of those microphones with silicone ears on it, and tags it as *ASMR*<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What if I told you though, there are means of recording, and post-processing that can make a recording sound alllllmost as good on both speakers AND headphones without having to use different mic arrays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okay, hopefully with that I have your attention… The key here is what the industry is currently calling “spatial audio”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spatial audio (or historically called things like quadraphonic sound, surround sound, 5.1, 7.1, 3D audio, positional audio, virtual surround, immersive audio<\/strong>) is sound presented as coming from positions around a listener, rather than simply from left and right speakers.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For field recordings, it helps preserve the sense of being somewhere. I \/feel\/ that it really helps preserve that sense of place and time in storytelling that I love so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now if you’re a recordist that really just wants to make the best isolated samples as possible, thank you for reading this far, this is probably about as much will interest you, but you’re still welcome to fall down this rabbit hole with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, where am I going with all of this… Well, certain devices like the Zoom H3-VR, or H2essential, or double mid\/side recording rigs, etc etc have made it much much easier\/cheaper to record in spatial audio compatible formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BUT! It’s a pain in the butt to play it back in a way that can be consumed intuitively for the listener. Even my H2e recordings that I took with 3d video, required an extra dozen steps, and a $15 plugin for me to get the recordings ready to go into Resolve and match to the 360 footage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I did what I’ve done before. I wrote a new app. An app that can open all sorts of spatial audio formats (well it’s tested with DMS, Ambix, and FUMA so far) and lets the user play back the recordings while being able to change the look angle of listener position. Even better, it supports the newer headphones with head tracking on both iOS and Android!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is called FurtherAfield: Spatial Audio Player<\/strong> and gives immediate life to these style of recordings. Just open the files and play!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m looking for Android and iPhone beta testers, especially field recordists who can try it with their own recordings. If you record with a Zoom H2essential, work with Ambisonics, or simply want a better way to listen back to a soundscape away from your desk, I’d love your help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some more technical details are below, but if you’re already sold, feel free to jump straight to the beta signup instructions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Built for listening back in the field<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

FurtherAfield brings source decoding, spatial listening, recording adjustments, and audio export into one mobile workflow. You can check a take while you’re still at the location, explore a different listening direction, and prepare a version to share or use later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n