Wave Arts Panorama 7 Review (2023)

Wave Arts Panorama 7 Review (In-Depth, 2023)

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​Wave Arts Panorama 7 is a virtual 3D spacial panning plugin; one that promises to deliver realistic 3D audio positioning that goes way beyond typical binaural panning. Wave Arts purports that their new virtual acoustics processor can produce highly realistic auditory scenes via 3D audio and acoustic environment modeling technologies; thereby simulating the acoustics of sound propagation in real spaces.

The biggest news being heralded by Wave Arts regarding Pan 7, is the exciting, new “position sequencer”. This can be used for trajectory automation and beat-synced musical effects (automated uber 3D panning, as it were). The sequencer works by panning the sound along a set of trajectory way points. Another interesting feature that has been reinforced in Panorama 7 is its implementation of boundary reflections. Theoretically, the listener will more strongly perceive changes in the simulated environment’s early room reflections as the sound moves throughout its virtual space. Although this was introduced as far back as version 4, the feature is now high-lighted and more easily accessed.

This seventh iteration of Wave Arts’ (WA, hereafter) long-standing acoustic-ambiance processor is the first Wave Arts plugin (of hopefully many) to be released with a sumptuous, high resolution, dark-themed interface – complete with resizing options to boot! As of the time of this publication, I see that WA’s MultiDynamics 7 has also been recently unveiled sporting a similar high res frontage – fingers crossed that all of Wave Arts individual plugins and bundled suites will be given equal treatment.

Even after a brief play with Panorama 7, I quickly realized that this is not just a fanciful toy, but rather, a complex and niche plugin that will prove to be useful in various mix scenarios. As such, it is reasonably priced at $129 (USD) MSRP, but may be had for as little as $25 if you are a license holder of Panorama 6 ($75 to upgrade from version 5). Considering that this plugin provides sound positioning and panning features that are impossible to achieve through typical DAW panning, or even with 3rd party panning plugins, the price tag is well justified.

​Wave Arts announced Panorama 7 to be the “Definitive 3D spatializer”. Pan 7 pledges to work well on typical stereo loudspeakers; just as it does on headphones. That’s a bold claim to make when competing products, such as Dear Reality’s “DearVR Pro”, occupy the same type of retail space (pun intended). I’ve had contact with Wave Arts founder and lead developer, Bill Gardner, since 2016. In all that time, I’ve never found the gentleman himself, nor the Wave Arts company, to be even remotely accusable of resorting to ‘snake oil’ gimmickry or hyperbole. That said, if Wave Arts makes such a bold claim about Panorama 7’s ability to impress our auditory senses, it certainly bears looking into.

In regard to platform compatibility, Panorama 7 is available natively for both Windows (Win 7 and later) and MacOS (10.11 El Capitan or later) in VST, VST3, AU and AAX plugin formats respectively. 

Of special interest, for a large portion of this review, I successfully had Panorama 7 running under wine-staging 8.9 within Kubuntu Linux v22.04 – no negative issues to report. I used yabridge to make the Windows VST and VST3 accessible to my Linux-native installations of Reaper 6.x and Tracktion Waveform 12.5.x with imperceptible delay, function loss, or performance degradation.

Authorization and Activation

Wave Arts customers have not one, but two methods of product activation to choose from: C/R and iLok. Firstly, WA’s own server-client, challenge-response system requires naught but a one-time internet connection to initially activate the plugin on your computer. You can then keep your system offline, if you so choose; the plugin will function indefinitely without ever needing to periodically “phone home”. Wave Arts’ C/R authorization grants licensing on 3 devices. Alternatively, two iLok protection slots are available per license as well.

Overall, WA’s challenge-response mechanism works well, but as of the time of this publication, there doesn’t seem to be any user-friendly means of managing activations for yourself. For example, if you’d like to retire an activation on your old computer so that it can be transferred to a new (or different) system, you can’t do so within your user account on the Wave Arts web site. There is a “Deregister” menu option within the plugin itself. Nevertheless, you will need to contact customer support at some point, especially in the case of a system failure – you can’t “Deregister” a plugin on a non-functioning computer.

​In all fairness, the Wave Arts company is very quick to respond to customer care issues, and customers are treated with utmost respect and understanding. This speaks well of the company, but still, it isn’t the most convenient way for a customer to manage their own purchased licenses. PreSonus, Arturia, AudioModeling, Modartt, and many other companies, now provide this sort of control. The lack of user-level license governance certainly isn’t a deal breaker, but hopefully WA will set up a self-care license management system on the their web site in the not-too-distant future.​
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What are HRIRs?

​It’s safe to say that Panorama 7’s efficacy is largely due to the plugin’s utilization of head-related impulse responses (HRIRs). This technology is akin to speaker cabinet impulse response captures and convolution reverb IR recordings, but considerably more technically involved. The distinct difference between typical speaker cabinet IRs (Impulse Responses) or stereo ambience IRs, and head-related-impulse-responses, is that HRIR responses are measured on full spectrum, 360 degree panoramas as opposed to simple monophonic or stereo recordings. Obviously, this is why Wave Arts has aptly named its plugin, “Panorama”. If you generally understand cabinet IR and reverb IR enginery, you’ll have an easier time developing an understanding of what HRIR technology is.

​Head-related impulse responses (HRIRs) make the creation of ideally-conditioned virtual acoustic scenes possible, thereby allowing the human auditory system to pin point sounds with a very high degree of accuracy throughout a 360 degree listening environment. This is exactly what Wave Arts intended to provide for recordists, mix engineers, and (home) producers with this plugin: an effective means to facilitate 3D panning in pretty much any DAW via a well designed, intuitive plugin. This now begets the question: has Wave Arts succeeded? As a general statement, I would say, yes – Wave Arts was successful in their mission. While listening to musical elements that have been processed with Panorama 7 through headphones, the results are very convincing. Listening on typical 2.0 stereo monitor speakers, the outcomes are not quite as impressive, although still very evocative. However, I’m jumping ahead of myself and will share my findings on the subject further into this review.

In conjunction with the aforementioned HRIRs, one can easily convert SOFA (Spatially Oriented Format for Acoustics) files into Panorama format as well. It’s safe to assume that most users will stick with what Wave Arts has pre-built into the plugin, but for anyone who has need for specific SOFA files, WA has craftily fan-dangled a nifty ancillary app for this very purpose. Aptly named, “Sofa2Pan”, the free application is conveniently downloadable from Wave Arts’ web site.

Get Your Head in the Game

Brand new to Panorama 7, is Wave Arts’ compelling “Near Head” modeling, which has been scrupulously coded to increase the realism and perceived accuracy of audio-source points close to the head. This scientific work of programmatic art operates on the principle of estimating head shadowing based on a spherical head model (that last phrase is a direct quote from Wave Arts). To ensure that credible results are realized over typical stereo loudspeaker setups, stereo pan and stereo passthru HRIRs are also on hand.

Speaking of the new head modeling in Pan 7, the first graphical element to immediately catch a user’s eye is the generously proportioned “head” display on the left side of the Panorama interface. In keeping with the multi-dimensional nature of the plugin, there are four view perspectives to work with: Top, Side, Rear and 3D, where 3D is actually a graphical illustration of the virtual environment itself. Thanks to this wonderful new imagistic depiction of how the plugin is manipulating any audio signal that it’s processing, it is easier than ever to visualize the positioning of your 3D audio element(s) – making it more easily understood than it was in previous iterations of the software. For example, using the ‘Side’ view lets you adjust the height (or “y” axis) of a sound source as well as its 360 degree lateral plane within the ‘Top’ perspective.

​Earlier generations of Panorama handled virtual distances of up to 10 feet; this has been exponentially increased to a span of 100 feet in Pan 7. Obviously, volume is lessened the farther away a sound source is from the listener, but fortunately, Wave Arts has included volume compensation controls to help offset inordinate level drops. I would have liked to have seen a simple limiter fitted into the fray as well, in order to prevent accidental clipping and/or extreme volume increases while automating or sequencing the 3D positioning at close proximities.

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Side view - Click to Zoom

Rear view - Click to Zoom

3D view - Click to Zoom

​A well-implemented doppler effect is conveniently on tap too -- this one really comes into its own when position-sequencing is being utilized. Subtle, lifelike pitch variations can be heard as an automated/sequenced sound source travels past (or around) the modeled stationary head. I’m impressed and delighted by the believable and authentic-sounding results produced by this feature of Panorama 7.

​As impressive as this 3D audio positioning technology is, the intended results become all the more convincing when combined with the evolved reverberation and reflections algorithms that have also been built into Panorama. I suspect that Wave Arts’ experience with developing and refining their MasterVerb reverb plugin has contributed in no small part to the detail and realism heard here.

​Enabling ‘Reflections’ on the right side panel of the interface, instantiates six spatialized reflections. These (early) reflections bounce off the walls, floor and ceiling of the virtual room invoking a really great sense of space. You can also commix sundry room items such as curtains or tiles into the virtual environment to further augment its effect. The ambience is additionally enhanced if you also enable late diffused reverberation.

There are a handful of effective presets available for establishing early reflection room sizes, ranging from a small booth all the way up to larger spaces. Although there isn’t a preset labeled, “Hall”, the ‘Large Room’ and ‘Big Space’ presets will take you into similar sonic territory.

In suit, you’ll find a dedicated ‘Reverb’ section for shaping and configuring the tails and late reflections of your chosen virtual space. Here too is a selection of six area types to choose from; again covering zones as small as a compact booth up to an indeterminate ‘Big Space’. By the way, when WA lists the preset as ‘Big Space’, they mean it - the reverb decay length can be stretched out for one whole minute (60 seconds)! Of course, both high and low frequency reverb damping is readily on hand as well.

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Reflections - Click to Zoom

Reverb - Click to Zoom

Position Sequencer: I Like To Move It, Move It

The position sequencer works by moving the sound-source along a set of position waypoints. Each sequence can have up to eight waypoints added; each node can be positioned wherever you’d like throughout the virtual space, on both the x and y axis (in other words, a full 360 degree panorama). As with the other sections of this plugin, there is a tidy bevy of thoughtfully constructed sequencer presets to choose from out of the box – these vary from somewhat basic orbital and flyby movements, to creative, vertigo-inducing maneuvers. Just in case it isn’t obvious, I’d like to point out that you can also easily use the sequencer to create unique modulation effects that are typically beyond the reach of most modulation-specific effects (Chorus, Flanging, Rotary, Speaker, Doppler, and etc).

​The sequencing can either be set to host-defined, BPM (Beats per Minute) synchronization, or free run at oscillation rates ranging from a barely discernible snail’s pace to sensory-overloading chaos. Like any sequencer worth its digital salt, there is a healthy assortment of rhythmic dividers and time signature modifiers at our avail as well.

Position sequencer - Click to Zoom (new tab)

​Be WARNED! By switching between the three principle ‘head views’, and arranging their own customized waypoint layouts by distance, trajectory, and height, one could accidentally wile away a good amount of time experimenting with the stupendous amount of creative potential quiescent within Pan 7’s sequencer. This increases the potentiality of drastic, negative impact in regard to one’s personal hygiene, employment standing and relationship status; Jus’ sayin’.  *Wink.

But, How Does It Sound?

To my ears, Wave Arts has definitely hit a home run here. The newly added "near head model" considerably improves spatialization realism close to the head. WA has added proper binaural-to-speaker conversion presets via the passthru HRIR, making for much better, non-phased, reproduction when played over typical loudspeakers. The reverb component has been tweaked to remove lateral bias in early reflections, so it now sounds more centered and controlled. Although Wave Arts’ dedicated reverb plugin (MasterVerb) might not enjoy the fanfare and marketing hype of some competing reverb plugins, the WA ambience algorithms are equally as lush and enveloping as any.

According to Bill Gardner (WA founder and lead developer) the 3D engine in Panorama 7 is mostly the same as in Pan 6, but certain parts have been rewritten and refined under the hood. Despite the fact the engine difference is subtle, the accumulated end results of new additions plus bits of code tweaking make for a noticeable sonic improvement over previous generations of the Panorama plugin.

I won’t lie. The impressive spatialization capabilities of the headphone-oriented modes in Pan 7 still upstage their loudspeaker counterparts -- particularly where behind-the-head factors are concerned. Nevertheless,  version seven is a strong degree better on this front than its predecessors. Where Panorama 7 really distinguishes itself through a set of loudspeakers is when it is being used for 3D-esque stereo panning. I have enjoyed the plugin’s ability to not only create dramatic stereo pans, but its impactful front-to-rear positioning within a mix is equally enthralling. Heck, this attribute alone accords Pan 7 to become any mix engineer’s secret panning weapon of choice.

If you have ever tried to place a stereo-recorded piano sample library within a typical stereo mix, you know how much of a challenge working with stereo instruments of that nature can be. If you try to ‘de-stereoize’ them, collapsing them to mono, all kinds of unwanted phasing issues and tonal imbalances can occur tout de suite. I’m struck with how well Pan 7 can accomplish this task though. Go ahead – download the 30-day fully functional demo; I’m confident that you too will be duly impressed by this dynamo of x, y, z panning mastery.
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Of Special Interest: Cue the Air Raid Sirens

Panorama 7’s beautiful new interface was designed by Voger Design in Vinnytsia, Ukraine. Not only is their UI/UX (User Interface/ User Experience) work worthy of the highest accolades, but to have continued working during the daily threat of bombardment and/or armoured ground assault is absolutely flabbergasting.

For those of us who live in the so-called free world - especially western, first world nations – it might be outside our sphere of experience (and imagination) to understand what it is like to live in a region that suffers bombardment and a constant threat of deadly attack. Yet, these are exactly the conditions that Serhii Sukhodolsky, and his talented team at Voger Design, have been enduring since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February of 2022.

Ukrainian soldiers evacuating civilians in Kiev.

In adjunct to this review, I encourage you to also read a brief introduction to the Voger team by visiting the following link on Wave Arts’ web site:
https://wavearts.com/about/news/meet-voger-design-our-ui-developers-from-ukraine
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Concluding Remarks

Wave Arts is not alone in the specialized field of 3D spatialization software development, but the company is certainly one of the pioneers of that domain. Now, with the seventh rendering of their 3D audio code d’excellence, WA has once again positioned Panorama to be the one first reached for. As exemplified throughout Wave Arts’ entire line of plugins, Pan 7 is light on system resources – especially in direct comparison to competing products such as DearVR Pro (DearVR can be quite CPU intensive at times). Thanks to the fabulous new high resolution GUI and complete design overhaul, this plugin is super intuitive to navigate. When every facet is weighed into the equation, I honestly don’t feel that any other product currently on the market (in its category) does so much, so well, and so affordably as Panorama 7 does.

>> Click here to visit the Wave Arts Panorama 7 Product Page <<

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4.5 out of 5 Stars

​:: Pros

• Beautiful, intuitive user interface – resizeable and high resolution ready.
• High quality, convincing 3D audio spatialization.
• Great fun, but also useful position-sequencing.
• Effective, sensible selection of presets – no superfluous bloat.
• Probably the most CPU-friendly plugin of its type.
• Easy, unobtrusive authorization and copy protection.
• ​Reasonably priced and very affable upgrade costs.
  

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:: Cons

• Certainly not a deal breaker, but a more convenient means of managing product activations would be greatly appreciated. However, let me be very clear that this is NOT a negative of the plugin itself, but rather, merely a bit of an inconvenience in certain activation scenarios.
• I recommend that Wave Arts strongly considers incorporating a brickwall limiter at the plugin’s final output stage to prevent unintentional clipping.

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​Brother Charles is a freelance writer, Gospel music artist and minister. Charles had been a professional touring musician during the nineties; working primarily as a lead guitarist in the Canadian country music industry. Brother Charles is also involved with music production and quality home recording."

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