Spatial Audio on a Budget: Inside the World of DIY Ambisonics

One of the most common questions I receive is from people wanting to get started with immersive audio recording but finding that high-quality ambisonics microphones are prohibitively expensive. For years, I've been directing these inquiries to Thorsten Michels, an active member of our Discord community who has become known as the maker in our space. With over 40 years of experience in audio and a passion for DIY solutions, Thorsten builds his own ambisonics microphones on a budget—and the results are impressive. His knowledge is at a professional level, yet he approaches this work as a hobby alongside his IT career, making his insights particularly valuable for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

In this conversation, Thorsten shares his journey into ambisonics, which began during COVID when he stumbled upon the concept and was immediately fascinated by the possibility of creating immersive recordings with just a few microphones. We discuss his practical approach to building DIY ambisonics systems, from his first experiments with studio vocal microphones arranged in spatial arrays to his current work documenting his builds. Thorsten has recently launched ambisonic.studio to make his blueprints and knowledge more accessible to the public, and he's eager to help others get started with affordable immersive audio recording. Whether you're curious about building your own equipment or just want to learn more about the technical side of spatial audio, this is a fascinating deep dive into the world of DIY ambisonics.