s3g-dsp

Panner DBAP

s3g Panner DBAP is a direct speaker panner, not an ambisonic plugin. It distributes each source according to its three-dimensional distance from every active speaker, producing smooth movement through regular or irregular layouts.

Panner DBAP with four source points against the Dodeca 12 speaker geometry in a three-quarter view.

Workflow

  1. Insert Panner DBAP on a REAPER track with the required source inputs and enough channels for its 64-channel output bus, then select or load the speaker layout and confirm its active speaker count and output order.
  2. Route the active output lanes to the matching main speakers, directly or through a speaker-array utility chain, then begin playback.
  3. Move sources in FIELD, then adjust FOCUS, ROLL, and DIF for the desired proximity response.
  4. Check transitions near speakers, between layout layers, and across any unsupported lower hemisphere before final calibration.

Signal Shape

source inputs
-> source AED / gain / mute / solo
-> full XYZ distance to every active speaker
-> normalized DBAP speaker gains
-> source distance rolloff
-> speaker outputs 1-64

Only the active speaker count writes sound. Unused output lanes are silent.

Distance-Based Amplitude Panning

DBAP gives more gain to speakers that are closer to the source in XYZ space and less gain to speakers that are farther away. The resulting speaker gains are power-normalized, keeping movement across the array controlled while the relative distribution follows proximity.

Control Effect on DBAP
FOCUS Raises or lowers the concentration of the inverse-distance response. Higher settings favor the nearest speakers more strongly.
ROLL Sets the distance exponent used by the speaker weighting and the overall source rolloff beyond DST 1.
DIF Adds distance blur so transitions spread more broadly and a source directly on one speaker does not become singular.
IN Chooses how sources inside the radial unit boundary hold level, attenuate, diffuse, or blend toward the center response.

Speaker and Source Distance

Speaker distance is part of DBAP steering. A source with the same azimuth and elevation as a speaker is not at that speaker unless their DST values also match. This matters for Cartesian cube layouts, whose edge and corner positions can be farther than DST 1. See AED Distance and Layout Shape for the preset-by-preset geometry.

Source DST also controls overall level. Positions at or inside DST 1 follow the selected IN behavior; positions beyond it use ROLL. When a layout has no real lower speakers, negative elevation keeps the normal DBAP distribution and smoothly attenuates toward silence at -90 degrees.

Field, Mixer, and Design

FIELD shows source points against the speaker geometry. MIXER provides source gain, mute, solo, and output level. DESIGN edits or imports speaker positions. These pages and the custom-layout JSON format are shared with Panner Layout; see Pages, Design Page, and Custom Layout JSON.

The host project stores the selected TOP, SIDE, or 3/4 view together with manual rotation and zoom.