Voyage Audio Dante User manual

Spatial Mic Dante
User Guide
Version 1.0

Voyage Audio Spatial Mic
User Guide
Package Contents 3
Introduction 3
Requirements 4
Getting To Know Spatial Mic Dante 6
Mounting 6
Power Over Ethernet (PoE) 6
Outputs 7
Using Your Microphone 8
Positioning 8
Care & Maintenance 8
Thermal 8
Dante Setup 9
About Dante 9
Dante Controller 9
MicNet Control 10
Overview 10
Using MicNet Control 10
Software Installation 15
Spatial Mic Converter 17
Overview 17
Specifications 18
Warranty 20
Certifications 20
Support & Contact 22
Third Party Tools & Notices 23
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Voyage Audio Spatial Mic
User Guide
Package Contents
● Spatial Mic Dante
● ¼-20 to ⅝’’ mini swivel ball hard-mount
● Foam windscreen
● For Download:
○ Spatial Mic Converter VST®plugin (Mac OSX & Windows) and AAX (Mac OSX)
○ MicNet Control app (Mac OSX & Windows)
○ User Manual
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing Spatial Mic Dante. With 8 capsules, Spatial Mic Dante precisely
captures the entire soundfield while providing output flexibility for critical recording and live
broadcast using built-in Dante audio networking. Using Voyage Audio’s MicNet Control
application, Spatial Mic Dante can directly output 1st order Ambisonics, 5.1, 5.1.2, or 7.1
surround sound, virtual mic stereo or mono pairs and the raw unprocessed audio from the
capsules. For the most flexibility and highest quality, the Spatial Mic Converter plugin can be
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used with the unprocessed audio from Spatial Mic to open up more output options like 2nd
Order Ambisonics, 7.1.4 surround sound, and a wider variety of virtual mono/stereo microphone
outputs including mid-side.
Spatial Mic captures the entire soundfield - letting you focus on recording immersive audio for
VR, surround sound, spatial music, concert recording, live broadcasts and much more.
● Enhanced spatial resolution, pattern decoding, directivity & optimal listening area vs mics
with fewer capsules
● Easy connectivity and routing using Dante™ audio networking
● Configurable output for surround sound, ambiX & virtual mics
● Dante audio network interface up to 32-bit / 192 kHz
● Capture quiet nature sounds or loud concerts with capsule SNR of up to 78dB-A and
136 dB Max SPL
● Individually calibrated for balanced array
● Professional quality analog to digital conversion, high resolution Skyworks clocking
scheme and built-in 32-bit XMOS Processor
● DAW plugin (VST & AAX) and MicNet Control app for remote configuration
Streamlining the spatial audio workflow when dealing with multi-channel microphone arrays was
a top priority during the development of Spatial Mic Dante. Dante audio networking utilizes
standard IP networks to transmit high-quality, uncompressed audio with near-zero latency. It's
the most economical, versatile, easy-to-use audio networking solution, and is scalable from
simple installations to large-capacity networks running thousands of audio channels. With Dante
audio networks routing audio is simple as a few mouse clicks.
Continuing with our tradition of single cable connected products, Dante replaces multiple analog
or multicore cables with a single affordable Ethernet cable to transmit high-quality multi-channel
audio safely and reliably. Dante is the audio networking choice of nearly all professional audio
manufacturers. With thousands of Dante-enabled audio products available Spatial Mic Dante
can be natively connected to a large and growing audio networking ecosystem.
We are excited for you to start working with Spatial Mic Dante. Please read this user manual
and get to know everything this microphone package has to offer.
Requirements
● Power: Network switch or injector that provides Power over Ethernet (PoE) supporting
IEEE 802.3af.
● Cat5e (or better) Ethernet cable
●Dante Controller for routing the audio signal (available for free)
●MicNet control and Spatial Mic Converter plugin software installed on a computer
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○ Spatial Mic Converter plugin and MicNet control have been tested to work on
Apple Intel and M1 machines running Mac OSX 10.11 and higher or Windows 10
○ Spatial Mic Dante can also work stand alone and will recall the last saved
settings
● For recording, a DAW supporting multi-channel audio tracks like Reaper,Pro Tools
Studio,Pro Tools Flex or Nuendo
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Getting To Know Spatial Mic Dante
Mounting
A ¼-20 thread mount on the back of the mic allows for a multitude of mounting options. The
included mount enables mounting to a standard microphone stand.
1. Screw the included ¼-20 to ⅝’’ mini swivel ball hard-mount into the ¼-20 threads on the
back of Spatial Mic.
2. Screw the bottom of the mount into a microphone stand.
3. Use the ball mount to adjust the angle of the microphone.
Note: This method does not provide acoustic isolation from the mic stand.
For acoustic isolation, use a Rycote InVision shockmount (sold separately). Place Spatial Mic
Dante in the shockmount so that the mounting screws do not come in contact with the heat sink.
Ensure the microphone cannot slip out of shockmount.
Power Over Ethernet (PoE)
This device requires Power Over Ethernet (PoE) to operate and is compatible with IEEE 802.3af
Class 0 power sourcing equipment that uses Alternative A (power on data pair) or Alternative B
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(power on spare pair) options. Power over Ethernet is most commonly delivered by a network
switch or injector.
To power the mic simply plug a PoE compatible CAT5E or better ethernet cable into the
microphone and the other end into a switch or injector. After a moment, the lights on the bottom
of the mic should become active indicating the microphone is receiving power.
Outputs
Use the locking RJ45 etherCON jack on the bottom of Spatial Mic Dante to connect a Cat5e (or
better) Ethernet cable for single wire connectivity to a Dante™ audio network or AES67 RTP
network.
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Using Your Microphone
Positioning
The VA badge on Spatial Mic Dante indicates the front or ‘zero’ degree position. This
corresponds to the direction the ‘head’ image is facing in Spatial Mic Converter Plugin when in
its default state. When recording audio for 360 video, you will probably want to orient the front of
the microphone to correspond to the front of the camera (normal orientation), but please note
that the Spatial Mic Converter plugin ‘orientation’ button can change the orientation of the mic
after recording to be ‘end-fire’ or ‘inverted’.
Care & Maintenance
● Spatial Mic features robust mechanical, however you should always try to handle the
microphone carefully and avoid dropping or sudden shocks.
● Clean microphone body with a clean, dry cloth. With the headbasket detached, you may
clean both sides with a slightly damp cloth and re-attach when dry.
● Keep working distance at least 6 inches from the microphone.
● Avoid leaving Spatial Mic in extreme temperatures, humidity or direct sunlight for
extended periods of time.
● Use the included windscreen to protect the capsule array from wind and moisture as
needed.
● Do not over-bend cables as this may cause them to break or become intermittent.
● Spatial Mic Dante is factory calibrated before shipping
Thermal
Like many network devices, Spatial Mic Dante generates heat and is cooled by natural
convection using an aluminum heat sink. It is recommended to not touch the heat sink during
operation.
The maximum temperature of the operating environment should not exceed 45 degrees Celsius.
It is recommended to power down Spatial Mic when not in use and keep away from prolonged
exposure to direct Sun.
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Dante Setup
About Dante
Developed by Audinate, Dante enables digital audio distribution over standard Ethernet
networks. Dante allows audio, control, and all other data to coexist on the same network in an
ultra-low latency environment and with near-perfect synchronization. The Dante Controller
software and network management features make even the most complex network
configuration quick and easy.
Dante Controller
Dante Controller is a software application provided by Audinate which allows users to configure
and route audio and video around Dante networks. All settings such as clock, sample rate,
routing, streams and, etc. are all done within the Dante Controller. Dante Controller is free
software available for Windows and Mac, and can be downloaded on Audinate’s Website.
Dante Controller offers automatic device discovery, one-click signal routing, device status
information, real-time network monitoring including device-level latency and customized event
logging. At startup Dante Controller scans the network for connected Dante devices and shows
them automatically in the Network View.
User guides, FAQs, technical documentation, and more about Dante and the Dante
Controller software is available at https://www.audinate.com/support
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MicNet Control
Overview
The MicNet Control application enables users to monitor and adjust the output settings of
Spatial Mic Dante from a computer connected to the same network as the microphone. Note
that MicNet control does not process audio itself - it controls the audio processing within a
connected microphone. The microphone’s output can be changed between raw unprocessed
audio, 1st order Ambisonics, surround sound, and virtual mic stereo or mono pairs. MicNet also
includes mic gain control, level metering, mic orientation, mute, network status, as well as
sample rate and bit depth information.
MicNet Control communicates with the microphone through the same Ethernet cable used to
supply PoE and stream audio data over the network. After configuring Spatial Mic Dante with
MicNet control you can stream or record over a Dante™ audio network or AES67 RTP network.
Features
● Adjust multiple Spatial Mics from a single application
● Configure the internal microphone DSP to transform the array output for streaming or
recording directly from the mic
● Output formats:
○ Unprocessed (raw audio signals that will later be transformed with the Spatial Mic
Converter plugin)
○ 1st order Ambisonics in ambiX format
○ 5.1, 5.1.2, or 7.1 surround
○ First order virtual mic pattern decoding: cardioid through figure-8 (mono) and
stereo X/Y to Blumlein (crossed fig-8)
● Mic gain control, orientation correction and mute controls
● Level meters with clip indication of audio on the Dante network
● Network status indication
● ID Spatial Mic visually (flashes the gigabit and network active LEDs on bottom of mic)
● Lock the output selection to guard against unwanted changes during a performance
Using MicNet Control
Launch MicNet Control from a computer connected to the same Dante™ audio network as the
microphone you want to control.
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1. Devices
Each Spatial Mic Dante on the network will be displayed in the device list. Click on the
device name to view and make changes to the Spatial Mic output settings. The device
name can be changed in the Dante Controller app.
2. Menu
a. File
● Refresh the device list.
● Save current settings to the device.
● Reset the device to default settings.
● Log of events.
● Quit the application.
Note: Closing the MicNet window using the X in the upper right corner
does not quit the application.
b. Dante
● Launch Dante Controller.
c. Help
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● About MicNet.
● Link to this manual.
3. Output
Select one of four different output options.
Note: When Spatial Mic’s sample rate is set to 176.4kHz or 192kHz the output can only
be uncompressed audio and will switch automatically.
● Unprocessed Audio
○ Outputs each of the eight individual microphone capsule signals
on its own channel to be processed later using the Spatial Mic
Converter Plugin.
●Ambix 1st Order
○ Output 1st Order Ambisonics in Ambix format for use in live
immersive sound mixing, broadcast or streaming applications.
●Surround Sound
○ Output 5.1, 5.1.2, or 7.1 surround sound for live immersive sound
mixing, broadcast or streaming applications
●Pattern
○ Decode the mic array into configurable polar patterns for mono
and stereo output
4. ID
Clicking on the ID button will flash the LEDs on the bottom of Spatial Mic Dante selected
to help identify the physical location of the mic.
5. Info
Selecting info will display the device Name, Model #, IP address, Mac address, Clock
info and more. The info is not editable in this window but it can be adjusted in the Dante
Controller application.
6. Network Status
The network status icon will be green if there is a network connection present and
synced.
The icon will be red if there is a network and there is a connection issue or if there
is no network detected.
7. Sample Rate and Bit Depth
Displays the device's sample rate and bit depth. These settings can be changed in the
Dante Controller application.
● Sample rate: 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz
● Bit Depth: 16bit, 24bit, 32bit
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8. Lock
Lock the output to avoid accidentally switching the output during a recording or live
broadcast. Note: The parameters for the selected output setting are still adjustable.
9. Output Controls
Each output option has its own set of controls.
a. Unprocessed Audio
●There are no additional controls for this setting, only output meters with
clip indicators.
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b. Ambix 1st Order
● The orientation of the microphone can be selected for correcting endfire
and upside down mounting.
● Output meters with clip indicators.
● The channel names are indicated above the meters to help with routing.
c. Surround
●Mode options for 5.1, 5.1.2, and 7.1 surround sound.
●The orientation of the microphone can be selected for correcting endfire
and upside down mounting.
●Output meters with clip indicators.
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●The channel names are indicated above the meters to help with routing.
These names change based on the surround mode selected.
d. Pattern
●The pattern control section outputs two channels of audio. If the width is
set to 0° the output is two mono channels of the selected polar pattern. As
the width is increased the angle between the two polar patterns is
increased creating a stereo output.
●The orientation of the microphone can be selected for correcting endfire
and upside down mounting.
●Make up gain control to optimize the signal output after the polar pattern
decoding process.
●Continuously variable polar patterns from Omni to Cardioid to Figure
Eight.
●Adjustable width for creating a stereo output of common stereo mic
techniques such as X/Y coincident pair or Blumlein.
●Output meters with clip indicators.
10. Mic
The mic gain and mic mute simultaneously controls all eight analog microphone
preamps inside of Spatial Mic Dante prior to Analog to Digital Conversion.
Software Installation
The installer for the MicNet software can be downloaded at https://voyage.audio/downloads/
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1. Unzip the downloaded file and run the installation program.
2. Follow the instructions in the installer to complete the installation.
3. If required, to uninstall, manually delete the files from your computer.
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Spatial Mic Converter
Overview
The Spatial Mic Converter plugin transforms the unprocessed audio signals from Spatial Mic
Dante to a format useful for audio production. While some format conversions can be performed
directly in the microphone and selected as an output using MicNet, using the Spatial Mic
Converter plugin utilizes a higher quality conversion and allows more flexibility with a larger
array of output options including 2nd order ambisonics and upto 7.1.4 surround sound. To
accomplish this, Spatial Mic Converter uses an internal 64-channel filter matrix and
measurements from an anechoic chamber.
Spatial Mic Converter offers the capability to change the microphone’s aim at the point in space
where the audio was recorded. This is useful when aligning audio position with 360 video,
aiming the mic at specific sounds that should be in front of the listener, or used in combination
with the virtual mic output stage to focus directional polar patterns at different parts of the
soundfield.
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The audio output from Spatial Mic Converter can be first or second order ambisonics in AmbiX
or Fuma, as mono or stereo virtual mics, or up to 7.1.4 surround. The ambisonic output can be
sent to a variety of plugins from SSA,Blue Ripple Sound,IEM,SPARTA and others for further
processing while mono or stereo virtual mic outputs can be used with standard audio production
plugins. The surround sound outputs can be used directly in your surround mixes or as the bed
tracks in a Dolby Atmos® session.
To download the Spatial Mic Converter plugin and the full manual for Spatial Mic Converter
please visit https://voyage.audio/downloads.
Specifications
● Electrical:
○ Up to 8 channels streaming over standard IP network
○ Output mode streaming channel count over network:
Unprocessed (to be processed by
Spatial Mic Converter plugin)
8 Channels
5.1 Surround
6 Channels
5.1.2 Surround
8 Channels
7.1 Surround
8 Channels
Virtual Mic Pattern Decode
2 Channels
○ Neutrik NE8FBH-C5 locking etherCON, also compatible with standard RJ45
connectors
○ Digital performance over Dante network: 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz,
176.4 kHz and 192 kHz (-4% / -0.1% / +0.1% / +4.167%) up to 32-bit
○ AES67 mode at 48 kHz / 32-bit
○ DSP: 32-bit XMOS with 16 real-time logical cores
○ DSP Output Modes: Unprocessed up to 192 kHz, all other decoding modes up to
96 kHz
○ Clock source: Internal or from Dante network primary
○ ADC: 114-dB per channel at 24-bits
○ Power: Complies with IEEE 802.3af PoE Class 0 power sourcing equipment that
uses Alternative A or Alternative B options
○ Power consumption: 4.8W max
○ Thermal: Operates at up to an ambient temperature of 45 degrees Celsius
○ Spatial Mic Converter plugin DSP filter type: 64-element output filter matrix
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○ Individual calibration stored in each Mic for a balanced array
● Capsule & Array:
○ 14.6mm Prepolarized Condenser
○ SNR: 78dB-A at 1 kHz
○ Frequency Response: 20Hz to 20kHz
○ Sensitivity: -42dB +/- 3dB @1kHz
○ Max SPL: 136dB at 1 kHz
○ Array: 8 transducers1
○ Array Ordering: Looking at Spatial Mic Dante from the front, as indicated by the
VA badge, Capsule 1 is on the lower right (Roman numeral ‘I’). Capsule 5 is on
the top ring of the capsule array and inline with the VA logo. The bottom ring
contains capsule 1-4 and the top ring contains capsule 5-8.
● Mechanical:
○ Construction: Aluminum & Nylon
○ Spatial Mic Dante Dimensions: Height: 7.65 in (19.4cm) Diameter: 2.25 in
(5.7cm)
○ Weight (Mic only): 0.86lbs
● Included Accessories:
○ ¼-20 to ⅝’’ mini swivel ball hard-mount
○ Foam windscreen
○ For Download:
■ Spatial Mic Converter VST®plugin (Mac OSX & Windows) and AAX (Mac
OSX)
■ MicNet Control app (Mac OSX & Windows)
■ User Manual
● Optional Accessories:
○ Rycote InVision shockmount
1Based on geometry presented at the 133 AES Convention
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Warranty
Voyage Audio guarantees all products against manufacturing defects within one (1) year from
the date of purchase. The warranty only applies to Voyage Audio products purchased from
Voyage Audio directly or authorized dealers. Warranty claims require a copy of the original proof
of purchase from Voyage Audio or authorized dealer. If a product requires service during this
time period, please contact Voyage Audio via our email address to discuss & troubleshoot the
problem. Voyage Audio will not accept repair or returned items for any reason without prior
approval. Please contact Voyage Audio for a return authorization number. The RA number must
be clearly marked on the returned package. If needed, we will repair or replace the product at
no charge to you. At our discretion, this may include either repair with new or refurbished parts,
replacement with a new or refurbished product or a refund for the purchase price, less shipping.
Products that have been replaced or repaired are covered under the remaining warranty for the
original product. or sixty (60) days from the date of repair or replacement, whichever is longer.
Please be advised that this warranty does not cover damage caused by accident, acts of nature,
abuse, misuse or failure to use the product as instructed or implied by the user manual. In
addition, this warranty does not cover any alteration or repair by anyone other than Voyage
Audio or an authorized third-party. The warranty does not cover scratches, dents or other
cosmetic damage, nor does it cover damage to other accessories or gear used in conjunction
with Voyage Audio products. Due to the nature of audio recording and production, Voyage Audio
cannot guarantee product operation with all end user equipment. Voyage Audio cannot be held
liable to you or anyone else for any loss of use, data, profits or any damages whatsoever.
This warranty is non-transferable and applies only to the original owner.
If you would like calibration or service performed on a product that is not covered under
warranty, please contact Voyage Audio.
Voyage Audio is not responsible for shipping charges related to warranty, calibration or service.
Certifications
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference.
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
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