Voyage Audio SDK
Spatial Audio Capture and Processing for Real-Time Applications
Spatially Aware Conferencing • AR/VR • Acoustic Cameras • Predictive Maintenance • Factory and Equipment Monitoring • Audio Analytics • Research • Consumer Products • Automotive • Environmental Classification
The Voyage Audio SDK treats spatial audio as a system-level signal, producing parallel audio, format, and data outputs from a unified spatial processing pipeline.
Overview
The Voyage Audio SDK is a spatial audio SDK designed to support real-time and offline processing workflows built around multichannel microphone arrays.
The SDK enables microphone array decoding, virtual microphone generation, immersive audio format output, and directional analysis within a single spatial processing pipeline. It is intended to serve as a front-end spatial layer for applications that require situational awareness, directional context, or spatially selective audio signals.
Architecture
The SDK is designed as a standalone spatial processing engine.
Host applications are responsible for audio input and output, device management, and user interface concerns. The SDK focuses exclusively on spatial audio processing, including decoding, spatial filtering, format generation, and directional analysis.
An example JUCE-based host application is included to support evaluation and integration. Reference hardware specifications are provided for Voyage Audio spatial microphone systems, and the SDK can be adapted to meet specific system requirements through integration and validation work.
Key Features
Ambisonic Decoding
Decode multichannel microphone signals into first- or second-order Ambisonics using validated array-specific spatial filters. Support for additional array configurations can be introduced through filter integration.
Spatial Controls
Support for orientation and filtering controls within the spatial processing pipeline. The SDK architecture allows additional spatial parameters to be exposed where required as part of specific integrations, without changing the underlying processing model.
Virtual Microphones
Generate steerable virtual microphone signals derived from spatial analysis. Virtual microphones are defined by direction and pattern rather than by physical capsule placement.
Supported polar responses include cardioid, figure-eight, MaxRe, in-phase, and related patterns.
Stereo Mixing
A stereo mix bus is provided for monitoring and routing virtual microphone outputs. Individual beams can be muted, soloed, panned, or routed directly to downstream systems.
Immersive Output Formats
Support for immersive and spatial formats including Ambisonics, binaural rendering, Mid-Side, and surround configurations up to 7.1.4.
Directional Analysis Outputs
Continuous direction-of-arrival estimates and directional power information are produced alongside audio outputs and can be consumed by visualization, analytics, or control systems.
Cross-Platform SDK
The SDK is provided as a lightweight C++ library with accompanying documentation and reference applications. Primary development and validation have focused on desktop integration, with additional platforms considered where appropriate based on integration requirements.
Headless Deployment
The SDK architecture allows spatial processing to operate without a user interface, enabling deployment in embedded or server-based environments where appropriate. Validation and deployment specifics depend on the target system and integration context.
SDK Scope and Extensibility
The Voyage Audio SDK exposes a focused and intentional set of spatial audio capabilities suitable for integration, evaluation, and deployment.
Additional spatial controls and configuration options are supported internally by the underlying processing engine and can be exposed through the SDK when required. Feature expansion is driven by integration needs and partner use cases rather than by generic configurability.
Spatial Audio as a System-Level Signal
The Voyage Audio SDK is built around the idea that spatial audio should be treated as a system-level signal rather than as a presentation or visualization feature.
The SDK produces multiple parallel representations of the same acoustic scene. These include spatially selective audio signals, immersive soundfield formats, and directional metadata describing where sound originates and how it evolves over time.
By treating spatial audio as a first-class system signal, applications can choose how much spatial complexity they need to consume. Some systems may operate primarily on audio signals, others on immersive formats, and others on directional data or visualization. The SDK supports these usage patterns without enforcing a single interaction model.
Because spatial outputs are produced in a time-coherent manner, audio signals and spatial context remain aligned across real-time and offline workflows.
This approach allows the same spatial processing pipeline to support communication, monitoring, analytics, and research applications without requiring application-specific spatial architectures.
Virtual Microphones as an Abstraction
Virtual microphones provide one of several ways applications can interact with spatial information produced by the SDK.
Rather than representing fixed physical transducers, virtual microphones are synthesized audio signals derived from spatial analysis of the microphone array. Each virtual microphone represents a software-defined listening direction and polar response within the sound field.
Because virtual microphones behave like conventional audio channels, they integrate cleanly into existing audio pipelines. They can be monitored, recorded, streamed, mixed, or processed using standard audio tooling without requiring downstream systems to interpret spatial metadata.
Virtual microphone parameters such as direction and pattern can be adjusted dynamically in real time. This allows listening perspectives to be modified without changing the underlying microphone configuration or signal routing.
Real-Time and Offline Processing Models
The Voyage Audio SDK uses a unified spatial processing pipeline for both real-time input and recorded multichannel audio.
In real-time operation, incoming audio is processed continuously to produce time-aligned audio outputs, spatial formats, and directional data suitable for monitoring, interaction, and live system feedback.
For offline workflows, the same processing model can be applied to recorded material. This allows spatial decoding, virtual microphone generation, and directional analysis to be performed deterministically on previously captured audio.
Using a shared processing path for live and recorded audio simplifies development and evaluation. Behavior observed during offline testing directly reflects real-time system behavior.
Array Geometry and System Assumptions
The Voyage Audio SDK applies spatial processing filters that are designed and validated for specific microphone array configurations.
At present, these filters are the same as those used by the Voyage Audio Spatial Mic Converter plugin. This allows the SDK to inherit proven spatial behavior and performance characteristics.
Microphone geometry is not exposed as a user-configurable parameter. Support for additional array configurations requires corresponding filter design, integration, and validation work performed within the SDK.
This approach prioritizes predictable spatial behavior and avoids the ambiguity that can arise from generic or inferred geometry models.
Integration Model
The Voyage Audio SDK is intended to function as a focused spatial processing component within a larger application.
Host applications manage audio input and output, device handling, and user interaction. The SDK provides spatial decoding, format generation, virtual microphone outputs, and directional analysis through a well-defined processing interface.
A reference JUCE-based host application is included to demonstrate typical integration patterns and accelerate evaluation.
The SDK can be deployed in interactive applications or in headless configurations where spatial processing runs without a user interface.
Because virtual microphone outputs are standard audio signals, they can be combined with additional signal processing or machine learning pipelines. In conferencing systems, for example, spatially selective audio can be passed into noise reduction, echo cancellation, speech enhancement, or analytics systems without requiring those systems to be spatially aware.
Ready to Innovate?
If you are exploring spatial audio for communication, monitoring, analytics, or immersive applications, we would be happy to discuss how the Voyage Audio SDK could support your project.
Contact us to request a live demonstration, discuss integration details, or explore licensing options.
info@voyage.audio
https://voyage.audio
Learn more about Spatial Mic:
https://staging-voyageaudio.kinsta.cloud/spatialmic
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