Ambiente Update: New Room System, Improved Performance, and Backward Compatibility

This release introduces a significant update to Ambiente, focused on performance optimization and a redesigned room management system based on physical modeling.

Performance Improvements

Ambiente has been optimized to reduce CPU usage and improve overall efficiency.

• Lower CPU consumption across sessions

• Improved stability in complex projects

• Better scalability when using multiple instances

No changes are required from the user to benefit from these improvements.

Modeled Room System (Not Preset-Based)

Ambiente is based on a physical modeling approach, not on static impulse responses.

Rooms are not fixed presets. Instead, they are generated based on two primary parameters:

• Room Size (Geometry)

• Absorption (Surface/Material behavior)

Each room represents a configurable acoustic space, not a recorded environment.

Updated Room Organization

The room library has been restructured to better reflect the underlying model.

Key Changes:

• Room names and images have been updated

• Legacy categories (e.g. Church, Cathedral) have been removed

• Rooms are now organized primarily by size progression

The largest available space is now labeled Chapel, representing the upper range of the current model.

Absorption Levels

Each room now includes three absorption variations:

• Low absorption → more reflective environment

• Medium absorption → balanced response

• High absorption → more damped environment

This allows faster selection of acoustic behavior without manual parameter tuning.

Advanced Parameters

Two new parameters have been introduced in the Advanced section to further refine the spatial response:

Reverb Modulation

Controls the amount of movement and depth applied to the reverb tail.

• OFF → no additional movement; lowest CPU usage

• MEDIUM → subtle, natural modulation

• HIGH → dense, smooth, and more animated tail

This parameter is useful to avoid static tails and introduce a more organic behavior when needed.

Ambience Amount

Controls the level of reflected (ambient) sound applied to the source.

• Adjustable range: -9.0 dB to 0.0 dB

Lower values reduce the contribution of the room reflections, resulting in a drier sound.
 Higher values increase the perceived integration of the source within the space.

Naming and Visual Representation

Room names and images are descriptive only.

They provide a qualitative reference, but do not define the acoustic result.

Users should rely on:

• Room size

• Absorption level

• Source and microphone positioning

for accurate sound design decisions.

Backward Compatibility

Projects created with previous versions of Ambiente remain fully compatible.

When loading an older project:

• The system automatically selects the closest matching room

• Matching is based on size and absorption, not on legacy names

As a result:

• Room names may differ from the original project

• Acoustic behavior remains consistent

No manual intervention is required.

Recommended Workflow

For effective use of Ambiente:

1. Select a room based on approximate size

2. Choose the desired absorption level

3. Position sound sources within the space

4. Adjust microphone distance and placement

5. Refine using Advanced parameters if needed

This workflow reflects real-world acoustic practices and ensures predictable results.