Martin Rieger Sound

19/08/2025

Still can’t believe I was at the Supercup, not just watching football, but shaping the sound of live sports.

Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: VfB Stuttgart vs. FC Bayern.
Sold-out stadium, floodlights, pure emotion.

Together with Softseed, we built immersive streams for Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro and super-high quality.

Not just to transfer 360 video and sound.
But to make you feel the stadium.

Here’s what happened (sneak peek)
- 60,000 people singing – giving me goosebumps every time
- sound produced for VR – more emotional detail than you get on TV with my fancy mics.
- Commentators, I supervised that you could switch on/off inside the experience

🎧 The difference?
You don’t just watch. You are in the game.
This is the beginning of something bigger for sport streaming.
I feel like we have finally overcome the technological boundaries and are ready for the future.

Immersive audio is not background noise.
It’s the heartbeat of live sports.
It pulls you in. Makes you forget you’re not there.

I’m proud to be working with Softseed on what comes next.
We’re building something big – and Stuttgart was just the first step.

Details soon. 🎧👀
What event would you like to relive in VR?

18/08/2025

Marble Stream! Oddly Satisfying ASMR

17/08/2025

Brands like Apple and Sony race to perfect spatial audio, but they force you into what they think is best for you.

Everyone talks about spatial audio like it’s already there.
But let’s be honest: you still can’t control the damn thing.

Dolby Atmos, head-tracking, ear scans...
Sounds impressive — until you actually try to use it across devices.

But as soon as you switch from your headphones.
💥 Boom. Where is spatial audio?! Mostly: Gone.

One-size-fits-all. Take it or leave it.

Want to change reverb? Too bad.
Want to adjust the soundstage? Good luck.
Want to move a voice slightly to the left? Dream on.

You're stuck with their version of “immersive.”
It’s like getting a custom suit that only fits in one room of your house.

Let’s be clear:
Spatial audio shouldn’t be about showing off tech.
I think it should be about letting people shape their own sound — based on taste, hearing, and context.

🎯 The tech is ready.
🎯 The formats are here.
🎯 But the control? Still locked down.

Imagine this instead:

- Drag & drop instruments around your head
- Dial in clarity or warmth, just like EQ
- Automatic spatial profiles for home, work, or travel

This isn't a fantasy. It's what object-based audio and adaptive rendering already make possible.
But brands are slow to hand over the keys - they don't want to control something you potentially don't understand.

Until they do, “spatial audio” is just another black box.
Shiny on the outside, frustrating on the inside.

👂The future? It’s not just spatial. It’s personal. Everybody has different tastes.
And I did just the deep dive with the demo I could test seen on the image with an intersting approach, read the article on my blog

16/08/2025

A golden coastline, generated by AI and wrapped in immersive vocals. Feel the warmth in your ears as the sound moves around you like light. 🎥 Fully AI-generated. Real spatial audio illusion. Headphones recommended.

14/08/2025

Why is no one talking about Apple’s 3D printed microphone array? This could seriously change how we capture spatial sound.

Apple’s new patent is wild:
- Inner sphere (loaded with MEMS mics)
- Outer dodecahedron (12 corners – mic on each)
- All mics at the same distance from the center = pure spherical capture

The shell? Fully 3D printed. No screws.
Wind shield and mounting included. This thing is outdoor-ready.

But this isn’t just “another Apple gadget.”
It’s made for 3D audio, not stereo.
Think film, AR, even acoustic holography.

As someone who spent years piecing together custom 3D rigs –
this looks like press record and go. But also pretty big or on location recordings.

Still unclear:
Will this stay locked in Apple’s ecosystem?
Or are we looking at the next big leap in spatial capture?

🤔 Curious what you think, let's speculate!

12/08/2025

Zoom just solved Zoom fatigue – with the one thing I predicted years ago.

Back then, people looked at me like I was the nerd.
“Spatial audio in video calls? Who needs that?”

Well, here we are: Zoom officially integrated spatial audio and here’s why it matters more than ever:

1️⃣ Voices finally have space.
In normal calls, all voices stack in the center of your head or in front of you.
That’s why things get chaotic when multiple people talk.
“Who even said what?”
With spatial audio, every voice has its own spot — left, right, across the room. Like real life.

2️⃣ Isn’t stereo enough with left, right?
Sort of.
But stereo puts voices directly to your ears, too close and unnatural.
There’s no sense of distance or room.
Spatial audio adds depth, reverb, positioning. Your brain instantly feels the difference.

3️⃣ 3D audio kills Zoom fatigue.
Less mental strain. Better focus. More presence.
Spatial audio reduces cognitive overload — science backs it.
You don’t just hear more. It's less exhausting.

🎧 The best part?
No fancy gear needed.
Just headphones and the right software.
Even laptop speakers can show a difference.

My take?
For years, audio was treated as a sidekick in video calls.
Now it’s stepping up — making virtual meetings more human.

Bonus: Apple FaceTime and Microsoft Teams were actually first.

Tried it already? Let me know!

10/08/2025

Apple, Samsung, vs. Ceva-only one truly nails 3D sound. My test results might surprise you.

I ran a test. And I was shocked.

Not by who won.
But by how weak some of the others were.

👉 Apple markets it like magic.
👉 Samsung throws “Dolby Atmos” on everything.
👉 Ceva? Barely anyone knows them.

And yet...

One gave me chills.
One made me yawn.
One just left me confused.

💡 All 3 were tested with real Dolby Atmos music, head-tracking, and proper 3D metrics—not upmix trash or marketing hype.

But here's the twist:
The most immersive earbuds I’ve tested… aren’t even for sale. 🤯

I broke the whole thing down (with examples) on my site.
👉 Full review on my blog:

Comparison of the best Spatial Audio Earbuds 2025: Apple, Samsung and Ceva in the test - HRTF, head tracking & immersive sound in the check.

08/08/2025

Virtual reality is not only for gaming. It could soon fight tinnitus!

There’s no cure yet — but sound therapy has shown promise for years.
Now, immersive tech is entering the room.

Traditional therapies use calming sounds: white noise, nature, even fractal tones like singing bowls.
The goal? Distract the brain, reduce focus on the ringing, restore calm.

Here’s where it gets exciting: A recent pilot study added VR nature scenes to classic sound therapy.

- 20 participants
- Sound only vs. Sound + VR
- One week apart, same people

The results?

- Both approaches helped
- The combo was better
- People felt less “loudness”
- TFI (Tinnitus Functional Index) scores improved

We’re still early. No commercial solution, no long-term data.
But the signs are clear: VR + immersive audio could be a new tool in tinnitus care.

As someone working in 3D sound, I dream of audio that heals, not just entertains.
This might be a preview of what’s coming.

What is your favorite use-case for VR that is not entertainment?

07/08/2025

Stell dir vor, du liest einen Zeitungsartikel über 3D Audio – und du merkst: Da hat jemand einfach mal irgendwas abgeschrieben. Ich reagiere darauf live und kläre auf: Was davon stimmt – und was ist kompletter Unsinn?

07/08/2025

Apple just made Spatial Audio about YOU, not your device - winning with this new patent!

For years, spatial audio was seen as a cool feature — mostly tied to your headphones + phone or SmartTV + Soundbars.

But Apple’s new patent is shifting toward your unique perception. What your ears actually hear.

Let’s break it down:

Near-field vs. far-field
Your iPhone may soon tell the difference between someone whispering next to you and a dog barking 20 meters away. That means sound gets dynamically adjusted depending on where it really is.

User control like never before
You decide where sounds live.
Want your friend’s voice to follow your head in a FaceTime call? Done.
Want your music to stay locked in one corner of the room while you walk around? That is already a thing.

Made for XR and more
This isn’t just about music.
It’s about games, AR, video calls, live events — where audio reacts to gestures, head movement, and even room position.

🎧 We’re entering a new phase of audio — from generic playback to personalized immersion. This patent is more than an engineering upgrade.
It enables better sound across all devices — not just AirPods, but potentially in TVs, or especially spatial computing devices.

So what do you think?
Will personalized sound become the new default — or stay a niche tech feature?

03/08/2025

Meta just dropped $16 million on a new audio lab in Cambridge. This will change how we hear the world.

Imagine a place where engineers can make sound feel like it’s coming from anywhere – not just left or right, but all around you. That’s what Meta’s new audio lab in the UK’s Ox-Cam corridor is built for.

Some highlights from this new playground for audio geeks (like me):

- Ultra-quiet test spaces (think: anechoic chambers big enough to fit a car)
- One of the world’s largest reverberation rooms with 101 panels that can mimic anything from a phone box to a cathedral
- Real home-like rooms with sensors to test wearables in real life
- Motion tracking zones where AI learns how we move and listen

Meta wants its smart glasses (Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta) to adapt to your world. Loud train? Busy street? The tech will focus on what you want to hear and cut out the rest. That’s not just a nice-to-have – it’s a game changer for anyone who’s struggled to follow a call or enjoy a podcast in a noisy place.

Why does this matter? Because the future of audio is immersive, intelligent, and personal.

With this lab, Meta is betting big on the UK’s engineering talent and the power of AI to make audio smarter.

The goal: sound that feels natural, connects us better, and includes everyone.

As someone who lives and breathes 3D audio, I’m excited to see what breakthroughs will come from this lab. It just shows the importance of sound and that big players like Meta have understood this!

What do you think about it? 🎧

02/08/2025

This is just a test to see how far AI + sound design can go in storytelling.
🎧 Use headphones to catch the full immersive vibe (8D-inspired).