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Why?

Advanced / Open Channels plugins will always be the more precise and effective way to create spatial sounds and compositions, because it means that you can know exactly the spatial organization of a loudspeaker system and take advantage of its specific characteristics, both its possibilities and its limitations. Works for sound installations, original performances or special places with custom sound systems can be created with the maximum efficiency and inventivity because they are unique and they don't need to be transmitted to other people or to be played on different sound systems.
But what if you cannot know the precise speakers arrangement, like cinemas, image domes or acousmoniums (and of course how people listen at home!), where the number of speakers and their exact distribution obeys to global rules but can vary on a large scale, making specific choices impossible, or needing to do complex transcriptions for each place or listening situation?
In these cases, it is simpler to rely on an "abstract intermediate representation space" between what you create and what you can hear and render. Ambisonics and OBA / Dolby Atmos encodings formats were developed on such an assumption that you can "create once and play everywhere", which of course is not really true: they cannot work with horizontal arrays like most acousmoniums or with 3D mesh spaces...

> download The Guide

A "nodal" format?

Nodal Audio Space can represent any spatial organization, from microphones configurations to loudspeakers ensembles. It can be defined as a network of "space samples" – the nodes – between which and beyond the vibrations spread, forming a mesh which can apply both to sounds ("space grains") and to speakers devices.
The simplest nodal space type is the surface, which can be either plane ("2D") like in most acousmoniums, or curved or even folded ("3D") to sound more immersive with domes, cinemas and consumer medias.
Instead, volumetric nodal spaces need a true 3D spatial organization represented by a 3D mesh, but places equipped with this type of system are still rare today (see "4DSound" or "Acousmonef"...). Nevertheless, some Advanced Acousmodules are already able to process Nodal-75 spaces.
To make a usable intermediate format, it is necessary to normalize the mesh according to a 2D or a 3D linear matrix, the goal beeing to find an optimal balance between quantity and quality, resolution, efficiency and easyness.

The "Nodal-61" high density surface matrix format I have choosen here allows to retain what has made Acousmodules different from anything else since 2003: creation and processing of sounds and space together, in high spatial definition and open formats. But here, instead of having to define your custom space nearly for each plugin (OK, it has been several years now that you can import and export spatial configurations between them...) the internal format is the same for every plugin, and you can even forget it, making them much easier and faster to use.
In this aspect, it is like ambisonics or Dolby Atmos, but without the coding side, and since the nodal density of this format is superior to what you will generally need, you don't have to worry: it will be easy to render, to downscale or to encode to every common spatial format, be it a dome, a cinema or an acousmonium. And if you need more, advanced versions are still available...

Spaces...

Dome, cinema, acousmonium... this is where the analogy with encoded formats ends.
Even if it can work very well for consumer media formats, the main purpose of this nodal format is to provide a powerful and open yet simple to use environment to "electracoustic music" composers (also acousmatic, "concrete music", cinema for the ears...). It is why "acousmoniums" compatibility matters. These loudspeakers devices are widely represented on the planet, but they are always forgotten from the "industry standards", despite (or because) offering a great diversity of conceptions and, globally, a very good alternative to common enveloping spaces. One oddity is that they are still largely underutilized and are often only used for playing stereophonic content. It is hoped that the existence of this nodal format will help improve the creation of works for this type of device.

dome, cinema, acousmoniums: if the speakers are arranged only around the audience,
the space they form can be considered and processed as a surface

Rendering and conversions

Since the N-61 format is not meant to be your loudspeakers device (but it can be...), like with ambisonics and Atmos you will need to convert it to the real speakers you use for monitoring, or to distribute and play.
This operation consists to convert one mesh to another ("transmeshing") by resampling the nodes positions. Of course, as with audio sample rate conversions, the more there are on both sides, the easier and more efficient it will be. It is one more argument to choose a high nodal resolution, even if it may seem disproportionate compared to most used loudspeakers spaces...

If the production is entirely done in N-61 format, the conversion can take place only once, when monitoring or when playing in public.
If the production is done in another nodal Open Channels format, or if it is encoded in ambisonics or in Atmos, a conversion or encoding plugin has to be used at the end of the N-61 processing chain.

The best and easiest tools to do nodal conversions are actually the free GRM-Tools SpaceMaster (DBAP) or SPARTA Panner (VBAP), and in Reaper (which is highly recommended in all cases) the ReaSurround. Since they are plugins you don't need complex routing and audio exchanges, but if you prefer to use standalone applications for final rendering, some excellent tools are of course also available, as well as if you need to do encoding (see the Examples below).
The following archive contains presets and configurations files for these tools:

fxp preset files for Reaper ReaSurround Inputs and Outputs ("free")
lay file for GRM-Tools SpaceMaster and SpaceVR plugins (free, support limited for macOS)
json file for IEM and Sparta/Compass plugins (free) => encode in HOA
rpp project file for Reaper with Fiedler Dolby Atmos Composer Essential plugin (free)
xml files for SpatGris spatialization software, cube and dome modes (free)
xml session file for IRCAM Panoramix spatialization software, must use KNN mode
ioconfig file for Flux Spat Revolution spatialization software, must use KNN mode
 

Dowload the files  

To summarize

Advantages of using N-61 format for creation:
- high resolution production means that even if you cannot hear it now in the studio, or you will not really benefit from it when you play on most speakers devices, you are ready for tomorrow ;-)
- no coding, so full compatibility with every tools which support the channels number
- compatible with common immersive formats with elevation, but also with variable distance layouts used by acousmoniums
- audio files can be plain wave, ensuring that they will not become obsolete in light of possible commercial developments... 
- keep the highest spatial quality when encoding to ambisonics or Atmos for consumer media distribution 

Inconvenients:
- 61/64 channels is not supported by a lot of hosts, plugins and applications (see below)
- it means of course more CPU power and higher latencies than octophony, "7.1.4" or 3rd order ambisonics...
- like ambisonics and Atmos it doesn't apply to real 3D production spaces: use Nodal-3D for them ;-)

FAQ:
- you want to produce Dolby Atmos music on commercial channels? > use Dolby Atmos tools and format.
- you want to create for a specific Dome? > continue to use what you are used to...
- you want to create for domes in general? > you can use ambisonics format, but N-61 will be better for space and sound processing diversity, even if you must encode it in ambisonics at the end
- you are used to create octophonic works for acousmoniums? > better create in N-61, then convert to any octophonic or other 2D format, including domes
- you whish to create original works for acousmoniums? > N-61 will be perfect ;-)

> download The Guide
 

The plugins

Two (or three) kinds...

Most of N-61 plugins offer two views: "cubic" and "spherical". Both consist of a Top View, which is "polar stereographic" in the case of the spherical one. The cubic one may be a little better concerning the spatial eveness when using thin areas, but the spherical one will better match the view of domes and some animation settings. So just choose what is more convenient for each purpose, knowing that switching from one to the other is lossless.

Hosts and OS

Every VST3 host that support 64 channels plugins and files will be fine... which ultimately amounts to saying that the choice isn't very large!
For multitrack DAWs it is limited to Reaper (+ Ardour and Pyramix), which is not a problem since it is the best ;-)
For modular ones you will have Bidule, Max/Msp, Usine Hollyhock, and if you don't need multichannel files support Carla, Element, Giga Performer and Live Professor.
Instruments (sampling and synthesis) can possibly be used in stereo-bus-only hosts like Live and Bitwig, see the SpatStruments tutorials.

As for the OS, Linux is alas still not supported, and on Mac the problem is the same as for all Acousmodules: they are not signed and notarized, and there is still a number which is Intel only.
For now, to avoid "security lock" you must either download them on Windows or Linux, use the open-source Sentinel, or use other techniques as described in the first page (not confirmed to work in macOS 26).
The plugins which are Intel only must run in Rosetta mode in ARM Macs. They are indicated below by a brown color .
This may change during the year, and as a consequence new macOS acousmodules will not be free anymore!

 

Fast Help

There is yet no proper manuals, but the FastHelp document must give you the more important answers to legitimate questions which might arise when using these plugins. Since they often share the same graphic interface elements and functionalities you even don't have to read everything...

Acousmodules Regular Fast Help PDF

(soon...)

Downloads

Each plugin can be downloaded separately, but here is the full pack of N-61 versions. I will try to maintain it up to date...
Reminder: please note that currently there is still a number of plugins which are not compatible with macOS (see below), and thus which are not present in the Mac archive.

Manual installation: unzip and put the whole files/folders in the following path
- Windows: /Programs/Common Files/VST3/
 + Presets folders: /Documents/VST3 Presets/AcousModules/
- MacOS: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/ or /VST3/
 + Presets folders: /User/Library/Audio/Presets/AcousModules/
 

beta versions!

(yes, you can use these plugins for free, but any donation will be much apreciated!)

S P A T I A L I Z A T I O N

This series of plugins process only the space – the spatial matter of sounds –, without changing other sounds' aspects like phase or spectrum.
Their range of application goes from placing and animating single points ("mono" sounds) inside the nodal space, up to sculpting the whole space content, through original shapings and animations with complex sounds (multichannel input).

N-61 spatialization plugins at a glance:

PowerPanner: place and size a mono/stereo sound with variable amplitude profile
MassDispatch: distribute freely a multichannel sound or several mono/stereo ones
SpatTouch: distribute the energy of a mono or a multichannel sound polyphonically (Poly Aftertouch controller)
SpatKeys: distribute a mono or multichannel sound polyphonically with keyboard's velocity and spatial arpegiator
SpatMass: distribute a 8 channels sound according to base shapes
AnimaSpat: animate the spatial position and shape of a mono or a 8 channels sound
ScaleMass: arrange and deform freely an up to 16 channels sound in space
FocusMass: place, move and spread a spot
ShutterMass: transform and animate the whole space
SpaceMorph: transform the whole shape of the N-61 space
NodeMass: integrate a N-61 sound or production in an Open Channels 2D/3D space
 

P o w e r P a n n e r - N 6 1

At first glance it can be considered like every other "2D/3D panner" you find in your DAW, and indeed it can work like them, but it has also some more original features.
The Distance Based Amplitude Control algorithm allows to create custom "pan laws", wthanks to whitch you can play not only with the sound's position, which is trivial for a panner, but also with the area it occupies.
- Area Volume: dynamically change the spatial area of the sound, a little like the "Spread" parameter that exist in ordinary panners, but here which changes also the volume of the sound
- amplitude control visualization to help to adjust the Area Volume
- Area Shape: variable amplitude curve, from sharp to flat (for more possibilities see the FocusMass)
- Response: to be combined with Area Shape to obtain more variations
- Density: it can be used to compensate the Area's volume variation to keep the amplitude or the energy flat, but also to obtain non linear variations (for instance the amplitude can get lower then higher when the Area changes)
- mono/stereo input with parametric Symmetry Modes for Left/Right inputs links

Current build date: 30/03/2026
Status:

2 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

M a s s D i s p a t c h - N 6 1

It is a simple yet usefull place-only "panner".
Its main purpose is to dispatch freely a multichannel input, but it can also be used with multiple mono/stereo sounds gathered in the same view.
A special case is to "upscale" the Nodal-24 format (as seen in the image) coming from a SpatStrument to N-61.

Current build date: 06/03/2026
Status:

24 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

S p a t T o u c h - N 6 1

Use a polyphonic pressure sensitivity controller to modulate the amplitude of the 61 nodes. It is especially configured for Intuitive Instruments' Exquis controller, but it can work with any other one.
With a mono input it can behave as an open "panner" where you can spread the sound's mass in a not contiguous way, like you would do with a 61 channel spatilization desk, but much more easily ;-)
You can also use it with a N-61 input, for instance from a ShutterFX plugin, to sculpt the total space mass.

Current build date: 26/03/2026
Status:

1/61 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

S p a t K e y s - N 6 1

Use a keyboard with velocity to trig 61 ADSR ;-)
Like the previous SpatTouch, it is optimized for the Exquis controller, where pads arrangement perfectly matches the Nodal-61 space, and makes spatial figures especially intuitive to produce.
The envelopes time and amplitude can follow the notes velocity

Its more original feature is an arpeggiator which allows to create spatial and rythmic patterns. Like a melodic one,

To do: arpeggiator improvements
Current build date: 12/04/2026
Status:

1>61 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

S p a t M a s s - N 6 1

Made to spatialize octophonic sounds as a whole, the eight inputs are put together according to several shapes based:
- Position: move the whole shape on the nodal surface
- Plane:
- Disc:
- Line:
- Scatter: Chaos and
Since the Shapes' parameters can be combined as you want, it is possible to obtain complex 2D or 3D shapes with only a few controls, which can be of course automated.
The Follow and Glue parameters help create more organic animations.

Known issue: automations works only when the plugin's UI is visible!
Current build date: 17/02/2026
Status:

8 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

A n i m a S p a t - N 6 1

Use a one to eight channels input sound, or even a combination of eight mono ones, and animate their spatial position according to base geometric shapes like the SpatMass above.
Three animation engines which can be combined:
- Curves: LFO driven paths, independant for X and Y axis
- Zigzags: random position animation
- Pulse:

See also the AnimaSpat 1664 with more modulations.

Known issue: automations works only when the plugin's UI is visible!
Current build date: 26/02/2026
Status:

8 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

The ScaleMass is one of the more useful tool when you want to include multichannel sounds coming from mesh arrays microphones or plugin instruments in the N-61 space. It allows to place up to 16 input channels freely in the 2D/3D surface, where their arrangement can be then transformed and spatialized as a whole.
- Shift: move all the nodes in the X and Y
- Scale: reduce the groups' size to a single point, align or invert it, expand it even outside the space, with progressive fade out based on the Areas settings
- Flocking: add organic movements and smoothness
- Rotate:
- Wide Mode (Shift and Scale x2): instead of being stacked along the sides, make the sound go outside the space... and disappear

Known issues: automation work only when the plugin's UI is visible ; drop-outs may occur during automations.
Current build date: 06/03/2026
Status:

 16 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

F o c u s M a s s - N 6 1

Quite the opposite of a panner, it is a variable sized "spherical window" or "spot" that lets passing through or "illuminate" some part of the whole multichannel sound space, from a single pin point to its full size.
The Shape Editor allows to define how the sound's amplitude is distributed along the Focus area, whether in a gradual way, in ripples or downright chaotic.
The resulting density variations can be visualize directly in the spatial amplitude view.
Aside to this normal multichannel use it can also process a Mono Input, in which case it will act as a kind of advanced "panner".
It is particularly usefull when combined with the ShutterMass and the Focus and Shutter effects below.

Current build date: 30/03/2026
Status:   

1 / 61 > 61

Windows

MacOS  

S h u t t e r M a s s - N 6 1

The basis is a directional spatial fader, N-S or E-W oriented, with variable amplitude and shape. But thanks to its Shape Editor and Modulator, it can

- Shaper: draw how the amplitude varies along the shutter axis
- Wave: to create complex ripples that can be animated
- Chaos:
- Orientation: X or Y + free angle
- 2 Modulators: animate the Angle and the Wave parameters for infinite spatial variations

It can work either with a mono input, in which case it acts as an original and powerful spatialization tool, or a Direct Channels or N-61 input.

Current build date: 05/03/2026
Status:

1 / 61 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

Resize, move, shift and rotate the whole 61 channels nodal space...
The main purpose of this plugin is to place a N-61 sound inside the N-61 space

- Area Volume: can be used to spread the space, for effects like low order ambisonics
- Shift: move all space along the X and Y axis
- Scale: spatial shaper and compressor in both X and Y axis
- Rotate (Yaw): both object and space base

Please note that it is NOT suitable to realtime modulation.

Known issues: drop outs will occur during automations... don't do it!
Current build date: 26/02/2026
Status:

 61 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

N o d e M a s s - 6 1 3 6   a n d   6 1 8 0

As its name can suggest it, the NodeMass's purpose is to integrate N-61 sounds in real 3D Open Channels spaces, up to the possible Nodal-75 format.
Otherwise its spatial features are basically the same as the SpaceMorph-N61, with several extensions due to the Z axis support.
It is also possible to set a special height value to each of the "rings"
Please note that is NOT suitable for realtime parameters variations.

Known issues: drop outs will occur during automations... don't do it!
Current build date: 06/04/2026
Status:

61 > 36 / 80

Windows  

MacOS  

E F F E C T S

Special N-61 plugins

The Focus and Shutter familiies constitute a kind of modular FX system by itself. At the difference of usual multichannel effects they can process each channel independantly through a simple yet powerful spatial interface.
Focus ones can be considered as "spatial band pass filters": they process the FX values according to the nodes distance to a spot (the "focus"), which can be as narrow as a single node and as wide as the whole space.
Shutter ones work as "spatial Low/High pass filters": they process the spatial values according to a curve whish span from one side to the other.
In both, the Area Shape allows to define endless spatial patterns by changing how nodes amplitude vary around or along the focus or the shutter zone.
"Zone" plugins allow to define and process independantly several

In most plugins, the input can be either mono or nodal, meaning that you can use them as a spatialization tool (1 > 61) or as multi-effects (61 > 61) that can be easily chained together.
 

F o c u s F i l t e r - N 6 1

It processes the entire space at once, with the filters values depending of the "spot" position, size and shape.
- 61 independantly controlled multimode filters
- 4 modes: LowPass, HiPass, BandPass and BandReject
- global Resonance: attention, the output level can be very high !
- inertia setting for slow evolutions
With the Modulation level at "0" and the Focus Size at its maximum the plugin becomes a quite normal 61 channels parallel filter, while at its minimum value it can process a single node / channel.

Current build date: 23/03/2026
Status:

1 / 61 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

S h u t t e r F i l t e r - N 6 1

Same filter characteristics as the FocusFilter.

Current build date: 16/04/2026
Status:

1 / 61 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

T o u c h F i l t e r - N 6 1

Use an Exquis or any PolyAftertouch compatible controller to modulate the cutoff values of the 61 LowPass filters.
It can be considered as an alternative "spatialization" method to the SpatTouch-N61.

Current build date: 11/03/2026
Status:

1 < 61 > 61

Windows 

 MacOS  

Z o n e s F i l t e r - N 6 1

At the difference of the others filter plugins, this one logically takes place at the end of a production chain, to complete or enrich the global scenophony.
Otherwise it is based on the same principle as the FocusFilter, but with four independant spatial bands which can be placed and combined anywhere in the 2D/3D nodal surface.
Each zone can be defined by its position, its width and its profile, which can be extremely progressive up to sharp, it can be limited to a single node to the whole space.
The filters are BandShelf Butterworth type, providing the following parameters:
- Order: 1 to 4 (6 to 24 dB/oct)
- Width: up to 1000 Hz
- Frequency: 50Hz to 15000Hz
- Gain: -24 to +24 dB max, the value applied to each node depending on the zone profile

Current build date: 10/03/2026
Status:

61 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

S p a t D e l a y - N 6 1

- mono input distributed on 16 delay
- up to 10" delay
- global control of acceleration and shape
- organization of the 16 delays in basic spatial shapes: Plane, Disc, Line, Chaos
- modulation of the delays values according to their individulal spatial position
- an envelope follower can modulate the Delay values and the spatial shapes and positions

Current build date: 07/03/2026
Status:

1 > 61

Windows 

 MacOS  

F o c u s D e l a y - N 6 1

Its application range is very vast, from sliding resonant drones to scratch-like varispeed.
- 61 independant delay lines
- times from 0.001" to 10"
- global feedback
- movement Inertia
- 3 modulators to animate the Focus position and size
- Mono input mode : use it to spread the sound over all the outputs with variable delays
- you can chain several ones to obtain complex and longer multitap delays ;-)

Current build date: 23/03/2026
Status:

1 / 61 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

S h u t t e r D e l a y - N 6 1

- 61 independant delay lines
- times from 0.001" to 10"
- global feedback
- Wave
- modulator

Current build date: 05/03/2026
Status:

1 / 61 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

It applies the "Focus" principle to 61 channels pitch shifting:
- FFT pitch shifter framework from ElenaDesign
- pitch shift range up to +/- 4 octaves
- FFT size
- mode Real (better) or Integer (lighter)

Known issue: may need some power...
Current build date: 23/03/2026
Status:

1 / 61 > 61

Windows  

MacOS   

S h u t t e r P i t c h - N 6 1

Current build date: 06/03/2026
Status:

1 / 61 > 61

Windows  

F o c u s V e r b - N 6 1

The Focus principle allows to use reverberations in a not realistic way if you think of acoustic simulations, but that extends the spatial sculpting of sound.
Here this means to be able to place the reverberation effect on only a specific spatial area, and move/grow/shrink it across the whole space.
Since the focus' influence can also be negative, you can use it to make the dry sound to emerge from a point or an area.

Known issue: may need some power...
Current build date: 23/03/2026
Status:

61 > 61

Windows 

S h u t t e r V e r b - N 6 1

Current build date: 06/03/2026
Status:

61 > 61

Windows  

Z o n e s V e r b - N 6 1

Like the ZonesFilter, this plugin is rather dedicated to final scenophony adjustments than initial sound creation.
- up to 3 reverberation zones
- each reverb can span from 1 to 61 nodes with different dry/wet balance according to the zone position and shape
- no internal mixing done, each node/channel remains independant

Current build date: 10/03/2026
Status:

61 > 61

Windows 

See also, in Open Channels:

• SpectraMass 64:
• MassModeler 1664:
  
   

S A M P L I N G

"Samplers" represent for me the best way to associate sound and space materials. The gestures can controls both the spatial mass and most characteristics of the sound, such as pitch/playback rate, loop points (granular), spectrum with filters and various modulations.

All plugins are based on Elena Design "Sampling engine v1". Next versions due to summer 2026 will be a lot more efficient for RAM use...

 
N-61 sampling plugins at a glance:

BrushSampler: use different controllers, including graphic tablets, to play and spatialize mono sounds
MPESampler: use a MPE compatible controller to play polyphonically the sound's space
MassSampler:
RoomSampler: use delay based space control to spread sample in the whole space
ExquisSampler: 61 samples recorder/player to be triggered by Intuitive Instruments' Exquis controller
 

It can be considered like a "3D" version of the old VST2 PenSampler but it is a lot more: it can operate either traditionaly from the notes coming from a MIDI keyboard or from continuous controllers generated by the touch and the movements on a graphic tablet or other pressure sensitive pads.
It has all the samplers common features plus:
- trigger modes : Key, Touch, Move
- Polyphonic Aftertouch for Loop, Pitch, Filter, Level and LFO Rate modulations
- the spatial position can be used as a modulation source and modulations sources can be used to modulate the spatial position
- Center Area width modulation source with variable shape
- 61 channels delay/resonator

Current build date: /02/2026
Status:  

 1 > 61

Windows  

MacOS 

Polyphonic sample recorder and player with MPE support, for both sample and spatial modulations at the tips of the fingers:
- mono wave files with position and loop points modulations
- 5 or 8 independant polyphony voices (one for each finger ...)
- full Spat3D spatial mass section compatible with any spatial arrangement with up to 64 channels (works best with mesh networks)
Special features:
- per voice Pitch Bend messages control the X position (with scaling to adapt to different controllers's ranges), CC74 the Y position
- per voice XYZ modulations of the Pitch, the Filter frequency, the Level and the LFO rate + Loop points

The playability of this plugins depends a lot on the MPE controllers and their settings, notably their ability to allow the fingers to a wide range of X and Y movements. Actually the best spatial control is obtained with the Sensel Morph thanks to its free continuous surface and high pressure sensitivity, followed by Erae 2. 
The iOS and Android app Musikraken (without pressure) is also very capable.

Known issue: random Pitch doesn't work on Mac; Pitch Bend is always active; possible short sliding spatial position on Notes On
Current build date: 18/02/2026
Status:

 1 > 61

Windows  

MacOS  

It is based on the SpatMass plugin and can record and play 8 channels sounds:
- spatial processing of 8 nodes as a group
- global group control and modulations
- Polyphonic Aftertouch modulations (Loop points, Pitch, Filter, LFO)
- to save visual space and resources the waveform view can show only the mixed channels or a selected one
- Motion mode: the first file's channel is sent to the 8 mass inputs according to the played voices (polyphony must be set to 8). Works also with a mono or stereo sound.

Known issue: in REC mode connecting or removing a patch cable ERASES the sample!
Current build date: 17/02/2026
Status:  

16 > 61

Windows  

MacOS 

Instead of spatialize the sample with the usual amplitude technique this plugin uses delays and Low-Pass filters together with a multichannel reverberation to "simulate" the source position. But since the "room" where it takes place can be up to 3400 meters wide, and since all the parameters can be controlled by gestures and modulators, it can produce huge animated spatial textures easily.
- up to 10 secondes delays on 61 nodes
- delay values are based on the distance between the graphic positions of each node and the moving "listener"
- the "listener" can be an attractor or an emitter: the delays are the shortest or the longest at its position
- Sample Start and Loop positions can follow the listener
- 3 LFO Modulators

Current build date: 20/02/2026
Status: 

1 > 61

Windows 

61 independant sample recorders or players which are made to respond to a multitouch control surface or grid controllers and keyboards. They must support Polyphonic Aftertouch, but the samples amplitude can also be controlled with Velocity and CC messages. Note that the layout of the Exquis matches perfectly the N-61 format!
- Velocity, PolyAftertouch or Controller mode can be selected independently for each sample player / pad (the controller CC must be assigned to the pressure parameter of the control surface)
- Sampler version: can record all the armed slots at once, useful with a multitrack input; it can also record each pad sequentially (mono input), each sample duration being limited to 25"
- separate start / end loop for each sample player + global CC modulation
- +/- 5 octave Pitch setting and random variation
- Global Release offset setting
- automatic backward playback when the End is set before the Start
- sample players can be activated/shown to reflect a corresponding spatial arrangement
- mini MousePad 2D gestures trigger and controller
- touch input range setting and curve to adapt to the controller's sensitivity

Known issues: the RAM use can be very important with long samples, next version will adress this problem
Current build date: 17/02/2026
Status:

61 > 61

Windows  

MacOS 

See also, in Open Channels:

• StretchSampler 1664:
• AnimaSampler 864:
  
   

S Y N T H E S I S

Special N-61 plugins: 

BrushSynth:
MPESynth: use a surface MPE controller to play plyphonically the sound and the space
TouchSynth: generate and control single synthesis voices for each 61 node
ParticlesSynth:

Current build date:
Status: 

MPE based Polyphonic synthesizer, for both synthesis parameters and spatial animations:
- 8 voices polyphony
- 3 multishape oscillators (sine, triangle, saw, pulse, white and pink noise), oscillator 3 has a Moog filter
- Ring Modulation between osc2 and 3
- 1 raw oscillator (no antialiasing) with resonator
- oscillators 2, 3 and 4 can act as LFO
- 1 PD synthesis oscillator with feedback loop
- free Pitch quantization for each oscillator, up to 1 octave steps
- keyboard control can be set from 0 to 100% and from left to right or inverted independantly for each oscillator
- FM and Sync between all oscillators
- multimode filter
- 2 separate LFO, up to audio rate
- 2 ADSR envelopes with time velocity control, 4 simpler ADSR with multiple destinations
- XYZ MPE gestures can modulate most synthesis parameters and the 3D position of the 8 voices
- octophonic hall reverberation with MPE control
- 8 channels EQ
- 61 channels decorelator/resonator with delay modulation

The playability of this plugins depends a lot on the physical characteristics of the MPE controllers and their settings, notably their ability to allow the fingers to a wide range of X and Y movements. Actually the best spatial control is obtained with the Sensel Morph thanks to its free continuous surface and high pressure sensitivity, followed by Erae 2. The iOS and Android app Musikraken (without pressure) is also very capable. 

Known issues: LFO1 spatial modulation is monophonic; Note value and Pitch Bend are always linked; possible sliding position on Notes On
Current build date: 18/02/2026
Status: 

Windows  

MacOS 

- 61 substractive synthesis modules (2 OSC with FM, multimode filter, amplitude ADSR), all available simultaneously
- 4 external LFO modulators
Random Spread makes each 61 synthesizer node different:
- Separate:
- Global:  
- Deviation: shifts all parameters values according to their spatial number, from periphery to center

To do: improve arpeggiator
Current build date: 12/04/2026
Status: 

Windows  

MacOS  

Current build date:
Status: 

U T I L I T I E S

Special N-61 utilities plugins: please remind that at the difference from the other Utilities plugins, the visual points does not correspond here to speaker layouts but to the N-61 internal nodes arrangement.

S p a c e T e s t - N 6 1

61 channels test signals.
- Click on a point to generate/stop the signal
- Sine and Pink noise
- Pink Noise source with volume set at "-12dB" (peak value) matches the K-20 RMS level specs
- Continuous or Iterative mode with Rate and Decay settings
- Auto Mode: cycle play in a selected channels Range, with Speed and Shape setting 

Current build date: 20/02/2026
Status: 

61

Windows  

MacOS  

S p a c e R o u t e - N 6 1

Select one channels among 64 for each N-61 node.

Current build date:
Status: 

64 > 61

S p a c e V i e w - N 6 1

Graphic only Peak Meters (-60 dB to 0dB), gives a good understanding of the produced space.
You can switch between the two spatial views, cubic and spherical.

Current build date: 24/03/2026
Status:

61

Windows  

MacOS  

The main purpose of this plugin is to help acousmatic composers to produce their works in high resolution space while having available only a small speaker device (up to 12 channels).
It is designed for simplicity and efficiecy, but since it offers no possibility to personalize how the downscaling is processed, specialized plugins or applications might give more nuanced results if you need to render files to such formats.
Presets for most common spaces are provided (more can be added later):
- quadriphony
- octophony in circle, pairs and "acousmonium"
- "Dolby Atmos" 7.0.4
- mini-dome 12
- low-res binaural with several HRTF models

To do: improve nodal balance of amplitudes
Current build date: 09/03/2026
Status:

 61 > 12

Windows  

MacOS  

N o d a l R e s a m p l e r - 2 D

Bidirectional nodal surface space resampler from/to:
- diamon cells: N-61, N-41, N-25D, N-24
- square celles: N-64, N-36, N-25S, N-16

Current build date:
Status:

64 x 64

E x a m p l e s

(all the plugins presented on this page are FREE)

Listen in binaural

Most spatial productions are done in places which don't have as disposal a convenient loudspeaker system, so headphones is sometimes the only viable solution.
Contrary to most binauralisation plugins, the GRM-Tools SpaceVR is fully compatible with planar spaces thanks to its DBAP algorithm. This makes it the ideal binaural rendering tool for the N-61 format. It's a shame that its age means it's no longer compatible with the latest Apple computers...

You can also use Sparta Binauraliser, since it is not limited to cinema formats and can even process up to 128 periphonic channels, but its VBAP algorithm may create uneven renderings. Visually it is based on a cylindrical projection (panoramic Front view) instead of the Acousmodules' Top view, which can also be a little confusing at first. 

Render to a 2D/3D surface space

For all spaces which can be defined as a surface mesh (domes, "Dolby Atmos", most acousmoniums...), every spatialization tool which allows to process a 64 channels input can be used to do the rendering.
They generaly use DBAP or VBAP-3D algorithm, but some others are also possible like LBAP, KNN (IRCAM) or MBAP (SpatGris).
Since the processing remains in the nodal domain, there is no loss of spatial quality other than the inevitable blurring when going to a lower resolution loudspeaker device.
GRM-Tools SpaceMaster's DBAP is the best for acousmoniums (reminder: its only drawback is that it has not been updated for latest Mac processors and OS).

direct mesh conversion to a 24 channels 2D acousmonium with GRM-Tools SpaceMaster (DBAP)
despite its "3D perspective" view, it is more appropriated for plane spaces conversions

direct mesh conversion to domes (here 31 channels' Satosphere) with Sparta Panner

direct mesh conversion / reduction to "7.0.4", with inevitable blurring

Convert to Higher Order Ambisonics

Ambisonics coding has become a de facto standard for domes in most institutionnal places, and thanks to its ability to reduce the order for smaller ones it is very pratical to render to various speakers distribution.
It is easy to convert 3D-surface N-61 to high order ambisonics, you have just to select the highest order to keep most of its spatial quality.

encoding to ambisonics HOA7 (64 channels) with IEM MultiEncoder
 

encoding to ambisonics HOA10 (121 channels!) with Sparta AmbiENC

Reminder about effects of ambisonic coding

Like FFT to PCM digital sound, Ambisonics use a different representation than the reality: time/amplitude' sound and PCM is converted into frequency harmonics, and microphones capsules or loudspeakers vibration sources are converted into "spherical harmonics". The FFT size and the ambisonics order both define the quality of the conversion.
The result is that if it can bring interesting effects while in the harmonic domain, conversion in both directions is not a transparent process. It correspond to some kind of spatial compression, where the order value is like the compression rate in mp3:
A problem is that the relationship between rate/number of channels and spatial quality is logarithmic, which means that it would need an infinite number of channels to . So a good balance is somewhere between 5th and 7th order for standard dome devices (about 20/30 speakers), but will cost too much in 10th order
Anyway, it is a good delivery format, and like JPEG or MP3 conversions, it is best done at the final stage of a project and for diffusion.

"center point" rendered to "7.1.4" with Sparta Panner (VBAP)

"center point" rendered to "7.1.4" through 7th order ambisonics coding + decoding

comparison of the production of a 1 node signal and after its HOA7 encoding/decoding

 

same comparison with 10th order coding (121 channels): it produces less spatial blurring for high density loudspeakers areas,
but if this might be acceptable with pin-point sounds, it prevents from using efficiently more complex spatial masses,
since its effect is accumulative.

> morality: use HOA for low density loudspeakers spaces where it shines, otherwise stay in the nodal/direct mesh world ;-)

In a symetric way, it is possible to Integrate HOA sounds in a Node-61 production, BUT one cannot guarantee that the speaker device geometry will stay correct (= equidistant sphere), thus it may work nicely with synthetic sources but less with microphonic ambiances.

decoding a 7th order ambisonic sound with IEM AllRADecoder to integrate in a "Nodal 61" production

Export in Dolby Atmos ADM

encoding "Nodal 61" to Dolby Atmos ADM, in the form of 61 mono objects with Fiedler Dolby Atmos Composer Essential
 

Other tools to produce and process
sounds in Nodal-61

OK, Nodal-61 format needs 61 channels... so you need a software which support generally 64 inputs/outputs, 64 channels of processing AND, for DAWs, which allows to read and write 64 channels audio files, all this without any kind of coding...
If you need to connect channels one by one, or to edit a spatialization tool for which I do not provide a N-61 Preset, the nodes follow the "spiral paradigm": 20/16/12/8/4/1, clockwise, starting at "Far Front Left" (or far North-West). Note that the same principle applies to all nodal arrangements used in other Acousmodules.

Spatialization only (mostly panning)

Flux SpatRevolution (standalone application)
SpatGris (standalone application, MBAP)
IRCAM Panoramix, Spat for Max (standalone application)
GRM-Tools Spaces3D, SpaceMaster (DBAP)
Reaper ReaSurround (DBAP and DBAC)
Sparta Panner (VBAP)

use Sparta Panner (VBAP-3D) to spatialize sounds in Nodal-61 format 

Effects (mostly Direct Channels)

Acon Digital: EQ, Compressor, Denoiser
Fiedler Audio: Spacelab Interstellar (VBAP reverberation)
Hourglass (standalone Win, granular)
IEM: FdnReverb, MultiEQ, Distance Compensator
IRCAM: TS2 (time-stretch)
Mammut (standalone application, kind of FFT)
MeldaProductions plugins: they are numerous, and even the free bundle is worth (select "ambisonics" then "7th order": it is NOT ambisonics...)
Reaper plugins: ReaEQ, ReaFIR, ReaVerb, ReaComp

Through 7th order HOA conversions:
    - AudioBrewers (ab PitchShifter, ab Delay)
    -

Synthesis / sampling

GRM-Tools Atelier: adaptive Direct Channel mode

Through 7th order HOA conversions:
    - SonicLab: CosmosF SaturnS
    - Sound Particles: Sound Particles 3, SkyDust
 

Modular hosts and programmation applications

Bidule
Max/Msp
Usine Hollyhock
PureData
Super Collider
C-Sound
...

Additional resources

Intuitive Instruments Exquis Layout
Sensel Morph

Updates

16/04/2026: ShutterFilter-N61 wrong modulation labelling
14/04/2026:
12/04/2026: SpatKeys-N61 and TouchSynth-N61 better VTS3 MIDI support
11/04/2026: SpatTouch-N61 stereo input mode
03/04/2026: first publication of the "Regular" N-61 series plugins