ZYLIA - Support and knowledge base for ZYLIA products

ZYLIA Support

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FAQ

General

What is the typical use case?

ZYLIA Portable Recording Studio was designed for recording music bands. You can use it as a typical recorder to obtain a high quality stereo recording. In addition, you can separate individual tracks of instruments/vocals within the audio mix. Tracks of individual instruments can be mixed together to produce a balanced recording that sounds great.

The ZYLIA ZM-1 is great for:

Musicians or music band members valuing rehearsal recording.
Composers and songwriters.
Teachers or students in a music school.
Fans of old-fashioned one-mic-recording.
Jam session lovers.
Artists fascinated with ambient sounds recording.

Can I use ZYLIA Portable Recording Studio with my DAW (digital audio workstation)?

Yes, ZYLIA is compatible with all types of DAWs. The microphone is visible like a normal input device. In addition, separated tracks of audio sources and instruments (wav files) can be exported to any DAW of your choice.

What can be done with ZYLIA?

Record band practice and separate the instruments into tracks
Mix separated tracks to get a balanced recording, or use automix feature
Record single instruments and shape your tone
Convert your recordings to Ambisonics
Improve your mixes with ZYLIA Mix & Master Service

Is ZYLIA an Ambisonics mic?

Yes, ZYLIA mic is a microphone array, 3rd order Ambisonics microphone.

Why does the ZM-1 have 19 channels if Ambisonics 3rd order is 16?

We use specialized algorithms which convert the 19 channel signal to 16 channel ambisonics, with more microphones we can achieve a higher frequency response for spherical harmonics resulting in better quality Ambisonics.

What is ZYLIA 6DoF?

By using multiple ZM-1S microphones on the scene you are able to recreate the acoustics in a virtual scenario, therefore you are able to recreate an entire audio scene in a game engine/Max Msp allowing you to move freely in a 3d space and experience it from different point of views (the front of the scene, the middle, next to a piano, etc.). Other possibilities are using volumetric video to have real visuals of musicians and instruments. The next option is to use motion capture and render musicians and their movements and lock it in rendered space with 6dof recorded music.

May I work with raw 19 channels signal from ZYLIA ZM-1 microphone in REAL-TIME, without the DAW?

From the sound engineer or developer’s perspective, ZYLIA ZM-1 is a USB microphone. That is, OS receives 19 channels of RAW PCM 24/32 bits data at 48 kHz. Users can process this signal in real-time. The same situation is with ZYLIA VST plugins. However, the VST plugin introduces 256 to 1024 samples delay.

Do you provide SDK (Software Development Kit) for customers wanting to work in real-time with raw data?

SDK - there is no need for additional SDK for RAW data since the audio data can be processed as any other audio data.
Additionally, you can treat ZYLIA VST - ambisonics or beamforming as an SDK. Each VST provides a list of parameters that can be controlled externally with, eg. OSC protocol in DAW.You can also download an example project that converts live recorded 19 channel audio data to 16,8 or 4 channel ambisonics data.
https://www.zylia.co/zylia-studio-pro-reaper-demo.html

What is the frequency response of the ZM-1?

For ZM-1 the spatial aliasing frequency is 4kHz. In the case of low frequencies, the first order has proper characteristics from 150Hz, 300Hz for the second, and 600Hz for the third one.

Can I connect multiple microphones to one computer?

At this moment the only option to connect multiple ZM-1 to a single computer is by using our ZYLIA 6 DoF VR system https://www.zylia.co/zylia-6dof.html You can purchase ZYLIA 6 DoF on our shop: https://shop.zylia.co/shop/zylia-6dof-5-zm-1s-zylia-6dof-vr-ar-set-based-on-5-zm-1s-microphones-398#attr=

Why a separate software for the gain control. Why not in the Zylia studio?

Master gain control in ZYLIA Control Panel has a global effect and influence other applications such as DAW. However, we also would like a separate gain control related to ZYLIA Studio only.

Can i use ZYLIA Studio PRO with Logic?

Logic possesses a multichannel limitation of 8 channels therefore ZYLIA Studio PRO and ZYLIA Ambisonics plugin will not work with Logic and will not be showing up in the plugin manager.

I also have Dear VR Pro, is it compatible with Zylia?

It is compatible, however DearVR requires ambisonics signal as input so It is required to convert the ZYLIA Raw file (19 channels) into Ambisonics (16 Channel) using ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter.

What is the Noise floor/ Equivalent Noise Level of the ZM-1 input signal?

The equivalent noise level is 25 dB (94dB - 69dB).

Software

On how many devices can I use ZYLIA software at the same time?

You can use your ZYLIA software on three computers at the same time.

Can I move my instance of ZYLIA software to another computer?

Yes, deactivate ZYLIA software on the first device and use your license key to activate it on the second computer. You can activate ZYLIA software on three devices at the same time.

How to deactivate ZYLIA software?

ZYLIA Studio
Open ZYLIA Studio → Click on cog icon→ choose License→ click Deactivate.

ZYLIA Studio PRO
Open ZYLIA plugin → Click on cog icon → Click Deactivate

ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter
Open ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter → Click on “info” icon → choose License → click Deactivate

How can I copy all sessions from ZYLIA Studio to another device?

If you would like to move/copy all sessions and recordings from one device to another, first open the ZYLIA Studio directory. The default location is: Windows: "C:/Users/AppData/Local/Zylia/ZYLIA Studio" MacOS: "/Users/Library/Application Support/Zylia/ZYLIA Studio"
Copy the folders “calibration” “sessions” and also the file “ZS.sqlite” to a pen drive/ external disk. On the target computer you can either replace those file and folders on the default ZYLIA Studio location or just create a new folder, paste files and change the default ZYLIA Studio directory to this newly created folder. The default directory can be changed by clicking the Cog icon followed by Change data location.

Why is there not a monitoring option / visualisation for all 19 channels?

Zylia Studio was designed to provide as easy as possible way to record and automix audio. If you would like to monitor levels of 19 channels than we recommend to use DAW and mcfx_meter.

Why gain of my ZYLIA ZM-1 recording is so low?

ZYLIA ZM-1 microphone has fixed sensitivity in order to assure the same gain for all capsules. It has also constant Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) equal to 68 dB. It means that you increase the gain level in DAW and SNR will remain the same. One way of improving the signal to noise ratio in your recording is to place ZYLIA ZM-1 closer to the sound source you want to record.

What are the settings in the ambisonics converter?

Some Ambisonics data exchange formats are more popular than others. Nowadays the most popular is Ambix format which is ACN ordering and SN3D normalization. The Wikipedia on Ambisonics data exchange format is actually quite a useful resource if you would like to know more about it.

Is there normalization on the stereo preview? If so, is it using Peak or RMS function?

The stereo preview uses Left and Right channels of the ZM-1 with Peak normalization.

How does the separation work? What is the workflow?

In general we use beamforming technique in order to create a virtual microphone with a very narrow directivity pattern. For some use cases it may be reasonable to compare it classic directive microphones. In ZYLIA Studio, if you change the separation profile mode, then additional signal processing methods are applied.

Purchase

Where can I buy ZYLIA in Europe?

You can purchase directly form us at shop.zylia.co.
ZYLIA products are also available via Thomann online shop, Gotham AG (Switzerland), Media Integration Inc (Japan), Sonic Sales GmbH (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands), Nova distribution trading Ltd (UK).

Do I get a warranty?

Zylia’s hardware products are covered with warranty against defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a period of ONE (1) YEAR from the date of purchase by the original end-user purchas

Where can I buy ZYLIA in USA?

You can purchase directly from us - shopus.zylia.co. For the USA, ZYLIA is also available through Reverb shop: https://reverb.com/shop/zylia-1 and Vintage King and B&H shops.

Use Cases

Does it work with loud instruments?

Yes, it does. With sound level monitoring you can always decide to put ZYLIA ZM-1 microphone closer or further away from your sound source.

Will it work in large venues?

ZYLIA was designed to work in different environments starting from home environments to rehearsal rooms, outdoors and even larger venues.

Can it be used for recording multiple voices in video production?

Yes, the device can be used for recording many speakers simultaneously. As the output you will get a stereo recording of a whole session. Additionally, you will get separated track of each speaker.

Technical

How are individual tracks separated?

Extraction of sound sources is a technique which belongs to our core IP and was a subject of intensive R&D over the past years.

Does ZYLIA support live monitoring?

Yes, you can live monitor any of your recordings.

What are the recording parameters?

The current version of ZYLIA ZM-1 has 19 microphones and audio is recorded in 48 KHz/24 bit quality. The system records 19 tracks from physical microphones and an arbitrary number of virtual microphones that are defined in software by the user. Each virtual microphone is recorded as a separate track.

What are virtual microphones?

These are software defined microphone beams that can be directed in any position in the 3D space. ZYLIA can detect audio sources through a localization process and steer appropriate virtual microphone beams towards them.

Can I record in 5.1 with ZYLIA?

Thanks to our virtual microphone technology, it is possible to set microphone beams in many directions simultaneously. In this way you can record in mono, stereo, 5.1, 5.4.1, 7.1 , 22.2 or in any other arrangement of your liking.

Can I use ZYLIA without any internet connection?

Yes, the microphone and recording software work without any Internet connection.

Can I control ZYLIA Studio from a distance?

With Remote control feature in ZYLIA Studio you are able to control the recording process by using a web browser in your smartphone or tablet. Internet connection is required to use this feature.

Do I need any additional audio interface or pre-amp to use ZYLIA ZM-1?

No, there is no need to use pre-amps or audio interfaces to record with ZYLIA ZM-1. ZM-1 connects to the computer using a USB cable. The device converts the analog signal to digital itself, so you don't need any additional audio interface. You can choose ZM-1 as your audio device in DAW (you should choose an application which supports at least 19-channels per track e.g Reaper or Ardour) or record in dedicated software - ZYLIA Studio. Our device and software record audio signal with 48 kHz sampling rate and 24-bit depth. Sensitivity of ZM-1 microphones is fixed in order to assure the same gain for all 19 capsules.

How to setup the correct gain with the ZM-1 for recording?

Because the ZM-1 is a digital microphone, it doesn't require a preamp, meaning that the ideal gain level from ZYLIA Control Panel should be set at minimum to avoid clipping distortion.
ZYLIA Studio's stereo preview uses Left and Right channels of the ZM-1 with Peak normalization.

Does the calibration process perform any noise reduction or other processing to the recordings?

Calibration let us better separate tracks and increase their quality by locating positions of all instruments. The calibration process doesn’t influence on RAW 19 channel recording.

How could we possibly tell if a capsule is broken without the possibility to access the input data?

ZYLIA Studio monitors all 19 channels in real time. If for one or more capsules it is likely that it is not working properly then user is informed about it by a popup window during the recording or during the startup of application.

With the ZM-1, is there a way to record with fewer capsules? What would be the ones that are canceled?

Using fewer capsules results in a less accurate representation of the spherical harmonics. Using Reaper or other DAW you can select which channels from a track you can work with, however, this is raw signal without beamforming. On this Link, you can see the positioning of each channel in the cartesian and spherical coordinates systems. https://www.zylia.co/white-paper.html

A requirement for good recordings is that the sampling clocks of the ADC in the mic and the DAC driving my loudspeaker are synchronized. I wonder if/how this is possible?

ZM-1 and ZM-1S are using the internal clock, so it is not possible to synchronize the DAC in output interface and ADC in ZM-1. ZM-1S has an timecode input which can be used for synchronization.

ZYLIA 6DoF FAQ

Is it possible to decode 3rd order ambisonics recorded with Zylia to a multi loudspeaker setup, e.g., 5.1, 22,2? How to do that?

There are several ways to do it using Max/MSP.

First step is to record the output interpolated signal. For recording [sfrecord~ 16] Max object can be used.
Or
Another alternative is to use reastream vst plugin after the Interpolation track in Max/MSP for sending audio signal via local broadcast. After, in the DAW, create a new 16 channel track in the DAW and add the Reastream VST to Receive the 16 channels. By receiving this audio signal, we can then add an Ambisonics Decoder for multispeaker output.

This workflow is also possible within Max/MSP by adding the Ambisonics Decoder plugin AFTER the Interpolation algorithm. For this, the audio interface needs to be assigned with multiple outputs available.

What plugins can be used for playback of ZYLIA 6DoF HOA renderer to a multi speaker setup?

There are multiple Ambisonic Decoders available: IEM AllRA Decoder, BlueRipple o3a-core Decoder, Steinberg VST AmbiDecoder
To use these plugins, each channel output should be properly assigned to your speaker layout.

Is it possible to record directly into Reaper using multiple ZM-1S?

Yes, you can record directly to DAW on MacOS, by creating aggregate device with all ZM-1S, however the recordings will not be synchronized.
For this reason we recommend using ZYLIA 6DoF Recording application for recording and synchronizing the multiple ZM-1S tracks. Afterwards, they may be imported into Reaper.

Is it possible to use multiple ZM-1S and record the signal from each microphone, instead of recording the HOA signal?

6DoF Recording Application is working in this exact way, it captures the raw signal from each microphone, then using ZYLIA Ambisonics Converter you can convert the raw signals to ambisonics.

Is it possible to render and decode sound in the ZYLIA 6DoF system in real time?

Yes, the interpolation algorithm works in the sample by sample processing.

Is the ZYLIA 6DoF rendering plugin compliant with other spatialization libraries, such as Dolby Atmos, Spat, Ircam, ICST Ambisonics Tools, and others?

Yes, Zylia plugins are compatible with any audio system that operates in the ambisonics signal domain.

ZYLIA ZR-1 Portable Recorder

Why isn't ZYLIA ZR-1 Portable Recorder booting?

In the present version of the ZR-1 firmware ZM-1 needs to be connected to ZR-1 before booting. Otherwise the device will not boot and the REC, GAIN & SD CARD LEDs are going to be lit in red.

Why does SD CARD LED lit continuously in red ?

SD CARD LED lit continuously in red signifies that there is no card in the slot, there's an error mounting the card, the card is write protected or the card is formatted in wrong filesystem.

Please make sure the Lock switch on the left side of the adapter card is slid up (unlock position).
If the lock switch is loose and moves easily it is likely the switch is sliding to the locked position as the card is placed in your host device. In this case please try to use another adapter.

Sometimes the switch on the SD card adapter is sliding to the locked position as the card is placed in the SD CARD slot. This results with error in mounting the card.

What can I do when ZR-1 does not connect to the internet ?

Instead if having the DHCP set to fixed, set it to this IP: 10.254.239.11

What can I do when the volume level is not working properly?

When the VOL knob is on the minimum position, the user can still hear the monitoring. After turning the knob the volume level starts working properly.

Why the REC button is not saving the file immediately?

Sometimes after pressing the REC button to stop the recording it takes unusually long to save the recording, REC LED is lit. Please wait patiently and do not press the REC button again, doing so can result with ZR-1 starting and stopping a recording immediately, creating an empty file on an SD card, causing SD CARD error.

Why the LED button does not dim the ZM-1 LED ring?

LED button doesn't dim the ZM-1 LED ring if the SD card is not mounted.

How are the FORWARD and BACKWARD buttons working?

After holding and releasing the FORWARD button the recording continues to fast forward for few seconds longer.
After holding and releasing the BACKWARD button the recording continues to play fast backward till the beginning of the file and skips to the previous recording.

Gain and volume potentiometers do not work
The device doesn't boot
There's no clipping indication (GAIN LED doesn't blink)