Monitoring Modes

One of Orbit's key features is the ability to quickly switch between monitoring formats. You can hear the same ADM content through 7.1.4 speakers, binaural headphones, or stereo — and compare how the mix translates to each environment.

For a deeper look at Orbit's monitoring philosophy, see Playback Approach.

7.1.4 speaker monitoring

Best for validating channel mapping and room translation.

Use it to:

• Confirm beds hit the right speakers.
• Validate object localization across the room.
• Switch Bed Routing between Direct and VBAP to hear how static beds are distributed.

If you need background on 7.1.4 layouts, see Dolby Atmos speaker guidance: https://www.dolby.com/technologies/dolby-atmos/

Binaural (headphones)

Best for headphone translation and spatial intent.

Use it to:

• Check front-to-back separation.
• Confirm height cues for objects.
• Select an HRTF profile — use Orbit Studio for general use, or load a Custom SOFA file for personalized rendering.
• Adjust Quality between Interpolated (recommended) and Classic.
• Use Head Tracking with AirPods or a selected camera (built-in or external) to keep the stage stable.

Head tracking keeps the soundstage aligned as you move your head.

Apple Spatial Audio background: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211775

Stereo fold-down

Best for compatibility checks and quick balance decisions.

Use it to:

• Confirm essential elements remain audible.
• Catch phase and summing issues.

TIP

Switch modes at the same timeline position to compare translation.

Spatial options

• Bed Routing: Direct keeps beds locked to their speakers; VBAP pans beds for smoother spread. Applies to 7.1.4 speakers and binaural.
• HRTF (binaural only):
  • Orbit Studio: High-quality synthesised HRTF with excellent spatialisation and height separation.
  • Custom SOFA: Appears when you load a personal SOFA file via Load SOFA File.
• Quality (when using Orbit Studio):
  • Interpolated: Smooth transitions between measurement points (recommended).
  • Classic: Legacy mode using nearest measurement point. Not recommended for general use.
• Load SOFA File: Import a SOFA HRTF file for personalized binaural rendering. Works with standard SOFA files from databases like CIPIC or Listen, or your own measurements.

Solos & Mutes

The footer's Solos & Mutes panel lets you isolate specific audio groups for focused listening.

Content controls: Solo or mute all Bed channels or all Objects.

Speaker controls: Solo or mute specific speaker groups (L/R, Center, LFE, Surrounds, Heights).

Each tile shows real-time activity and has S (solo) and M (mute) buttons. When any group is soloed, other groups become implicitly muted (dimmed appearance).

Clear button: Resets all solos including per-object solos from the sidebar.

Master level: Horizontal fader in the header controls overall output (-60 to +12 dB). Option+click resets to 0 dB.

For detailed control descriptions, see Workspace Tour → Footer.

Solo in Pairs

Enable Setup → Solo in Pairs to solo consecutive object pairs together. When enabled:

• Clicking the solo button on object 1 solos objects 1+2.
• Clicking solo on object 2 solos objects 2+3.
• Clicking solo on object 3 solos objects 3+4.
• And so on...

This is useful for:

• Quickly comparing stereo pairs in an object-based mix.
• Checking L/R balance of object groups.
• A/B testing adjacent elements without manually toggling multiple solos.