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Nx Head Tracker for Headphones

Enhance the spatial realism of Nx headphone mixing plugins
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Enhance the 3D Acoustic Simulationof Nx Headphone Reference Plugins

The wireless, Bluetooth Nx Head Tracker attaches to your headphones and tracks your head movement in real time. It then feeds the data into Waves Nx headphone mixing plugins, which create real-world 3D acoustics on any headphones in order to help you make better mixing decisions on headphones.

Head tracking enhances the realism of the immersive Nx effect, making the sound feel even more ‘out-of-the-head,’ and immersing you even deeper in the acoustic space of virtual studios such as Abbey Road, Ocean Way, or CLA’s Mix L.A.

The Nx Head Tracker is also compatible with the Waves Nx mobile app. Imagine moving your head, and the audio perspective shifts in a game, acoustic environment, or VR—and when you turn around, the sound comes from behind you. This is true 3D sound.

  • Augments the realism of all Waves Nx virtual studio plugins
  • Make better mixing decisions with headphones by listening in a space
  • Connects with Bluetooth 4.0 BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy)
  • Tracks head movement in a full 360° sphere
  • Tracks head movements in underlit conditions without webcam
  • Tracks head movements with greater precision than webcam
  • 6 people can use Nx Head Trackers simultaneously
  • Order with confidence—30-day money-back guarantee
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Why Head Tracking Matters

When you hear sounds in the real world, your physical head movements help your brain create a sense of 3D audio depth. Your brain remembers where the sound used to be and where it is now, and combines this with its knowledge that the head (and not the external object) has moved. It then uses this information to locate the external sound source and construct a 3D “audio scene.”

However, when you listen to sound on headphones, the audio scene constantly shifts with your head, and your experience of 3D auditory space is gone.

By tracking your head movements and adjusting the audio to the direction and orientation of your head, the Nx Head Tracker (combined with Nx software) helps reconstruct the realistic three-dimensional experience of sounds coming at you from external sources in the real world.

Nx Head Tracker, Webcam – or the Best of Both Worlds?

There are several ways you can track your head movements to enhance the Nx experience:

  1. With the Nx Head Tracker
  2. Using your computer’s camera
  3. Using both simultaneously (what we call “sensor fusion” – see table below)*

Using the Nx Head Tracker has several advantages over using your webcam:

  • Speed and accuracy: The Nx Head Tracker is faster and more accurate, providing a smoother tracking experience.
  • Freedom of movement: With a webcam, you must face your computer’s camera at all times. With the Nx Head Tracker you are free to move around.
  • Full 360° tracking: A webcam can track your head movements in ±30 degrees only. The Nx Head Tracker will track them in full 360 degrees.
  • Multiple users: With a webcam, only one user can use Nx software at a time; with the Nx Head Tracker, several users (each with his or her own Nx Head Tracker) can experience Nx simultaneously on the same audio source.

Here’s a more detailed comparison between the different options:

Head TrackerWebcamSensor Fusion*
For Use WithBoth stationary and mobile devicesStationary devices only (desktop or laptop)Stationary devices only (desktop or laptop)
CPU ConsumptionLowHighHigh (slightly higher than webcam alone)
Tracking Angle360° (full sphere)60° (+/-30°)360° (full sphere)
Tracking Speed (Refresh Rate)50 frames per second (fps)Up to 30 fps in good lighting conditionsUp to 80 fps
LightingDoes not require lightingSensitive to lighting conditionsMinimally sensitive to lighting conditions (will not work in complete darkness, but will work even under poor lighting)
Distance from Your DeviceApprox. 10-20 feet, depending on Bluetooth range3-6 feet, depending on lens field-of-view angle3-6 feet (same as webcam)
Tracking Orientation and Position3 degrees of freedom: orientation only (yaw/pitch/roll)6 degrees of freedom: orientation (yaw/pitch/roll) + position ( XYZ)6 degrees of freedom: orientation (yaw/pitch/roll) + position ( XYZ)
Multiple UsersAllows up to 6 users, each with his own Nx Head Tracker, to experience Nx simultaneously on the same audio source.

(Separate headphone outputs needed; number of users depends on the available Bluetooth hardware.)		Only one user at a timeOnly one user at a time can use the “sensor fusion” option; additional users can use Nx Head Tracker devices in order to experience Nx simultaneously on the same audio source.

If you have one webcam and one Nx Head Tracker, you can either choose the “sensor fusion” option for a single user, or assign the webcam to one user and the Nx Head Tracker to the other.

* Available with the Nx Virtual Mix Room plugin only; currently not available with the Nx application for 3D audio.

If you are not satisfied with the Nx Head Tracker for any reason, you may return it within 30 days in excellent condition and get your money back.