Spatial Audio in Your Pocket: Audio Brewers' AB Recorder

In this video I take a look at the brand-new AB Recorder from Audio Brewers, an iPhone application that taps into the spatial audio recording capability now available on newer iPhones. Audio Brewers are best known for their innovative ambisonics plugins, and this is their first venture onto the iPhone — using the device's microphone array to capture sound in first-order ambisonics format. I recorded a hands-on test right here in my studio to see how it handles a real-world scene, walking through the interface, the settings, and the recording workflow from start to finish.

Along the way I explore some of the genuinely interesting features the app brings to the table, get the recording loaded into Reaper, and put the result through the AB Advanced Decoder to see what's actually possible with the captured field. There are some clever surprises here and a few honest limitations worth knowing about before you rely on it. If you're curious about immersive audio, spatial recording on the go, or just what an iPhone can really do in this space, stick around for the full walkthrough and my final verdict.