Here’s a real-world physical implementation of some open source hardware components…. bugbase from Bug Labs.
This is the kind of product which I think could be used to build a super-easy to use full ambisonic recording solution … where the conversion to B-format is done on the device itself … which could then playback in 5.1 without ever going through a painful computer phase.
There’s a video here.
There seems a split between ‘hardware solutions’ and ‘software solutions’ to ambisonics. But it never seems to have been discussed here in depth (perhaps the camps are irreconcilable …;-)>
With powerful, widely available PCs why go for hardware solutions … ? (Yes, even I can think of some reasons, but they don’t seem overwhelming.)
Hardware catches up anyway: my ‘pocket’ DVD reader (110 Euro, over a year ago) plays DVDs, CDs, MP3s, OGGs (I think), MP4s off CD-format, off USB-stick, …).
Michael