Introduction to Recording Immersive/Spatial Audio
Introduction to Recording Immersive/Spatial Audio
This practical training course introduces you to the creative and technical foundations of immersive audio recording and post-production for the contexts of 180 and 360 video production. Designed for artists, producers, filmmakers, and digital storytellers, the course balances hands-on experimentation with critical reflection, supporting learners to confidently plan, capture, and evaluate immersive audio content. Across three structured sessions, participants will move from core concepts and tools through real-world spatial sound recording and post-production mixing, concluding with a reflective review that consolidates learning and supports future development.
Course Description
Introduction to Recording Immersive/Spatial Audio
This practical training course introduces you to the creative and technical foundations of immersive audio recording and post-production for the contexts of 180 and 360 video production. Designed for artists, producers, filmmakers, and digital storytellers, the course balances hands-on experimentation with critical reflection, supporting learners to confidently plan, capture, and evaluate immersive audio content. Across three structured sessions, participants will move from core concepts and tools through real-world spatial sound recording and post-production mixing, concluding with a reflective review that consolidates learning and supports future development.
Across three sessions, the course balances foundational knowledge with hands-on experience, guiding participants from core concepts through real-life recording situations and into reflective listening and critique. By the end of the course, participants will have the confidence and practical skills to plan, record, and evaluate field recordings for creative or professional use.
SESSION ONE - Introduction to Immersive & Spatial Audio - Sunday 24th May 2026
SESSION TWO - Practical Training: Live Recording in Real Locations - Sunday 31st May 2026
SESSION THREE - A final session to review your experiences, ask more/follow-up questions, and critique what you have achieved - Sunday 7th June 2026
Who This Course Is For:
This course is suitable for anyone interested in capturing sound outside the studio, including beginners, creatives, and audio practitioners looking to expand their skills into field recording and location sound.
SESSION ONE – Introduction to Recording Immersive/Spatial Audio
This introductory session covers the fundamentals of immersive & spatial audio and how it differs from studio-based audio work. Participants will explore microphone types and polar patterns, portable recorders, signal flow, gain staging in the field, and monitoring techniques. The session also addresses environmental awareness, wind and handling noise, power management, file formats, and recording ethics. Demonstrations and guided practice will allow participants to experiment with equipment and listening skills in preparation for real-world recording.
Key focus areas:
Understanding immersive audio recording workflows and equipment
Microphone choice, placement, and immersive techniques
Gain staging and monitoring in uncontrolled environments
Managing noise, weather, and environmental challenges
SESSION TWO – Practical Training: Live Recording in Real Locations
This hands-on session takes place in real-world locations, where participants will actively immersive audio in a variety of environments. Working individually or in small groups, participants will plan recordings, capture ambient sound, movement, and specific sound sources, and adapt to changing conditions. Facilitators will provide guidance on mic placement, levels, and listening strategies, encouraging participants to respond creatively and technically to each environment.
Key focus areas:
Recording in outdoor or public environments
Applying spatial recording techniques
Responding to environmental unpredictability
SESSION THREE – Review, Reflection, and Critique
The final session focuses on listening, reflection, and evaluation. Participants will review selected recordings, discuss challenges encountered in the field, and explore how technical and creative decisions affected results. The session provides space for follow-up questions, peer feedback, and discussion of next steps, including editing, archiving, and using field recordings in creative projects.
Key focus areas:
Critical listening and evaluation of field recordings
Understanding strengths and areas for improvement
Exploring creative and practical applications of field audio
In-Person
This will happen at Accidental in the Theatre, in the Ground Floor theatre.
Remote
This will happen over zoom, you will be able to see and hear the course but you won’t have the same hands-on experience
Facilitator - John D’Arcy
Dr John D’Arcy is an artist-researcher based at the Sonic Arts Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast. John directs vocal ensemble HIVE Choir and curates sound art events and exhibitions at Sonorities Festival Belfast. He is a board member of Digital Arts Studios Belfast, the Belfast Region Music Board and was a member of the Steering Group for Belfast’s successful bid for UNESCO City of Music status.
Talk to The Professionals
Accidental’s Talk to the Professionals Programme empowers artists and technicians to thrive within today’s fast-changing creative industries. As digital innovation, hybrid performance models, and new production technologies reshape how work is made and shared, creative practitioners need future-focused skills that combine technical capability with bold artistic thinking.
This programme offers a practical, hands-on pathway for early- and mid-career creatives to develop those skills. Through workshops, labs, and mentorship led by experienced artists, digital specialists, and production professionals, participants gain confidence in areas such as digital performance tools, emerging media, core production practices, collaborative creation, and innovative storytelling.
Funding by the James Kane Foundation.
Course Info
In-Person
Venue: 12-13 Shaftesbury Square, Belfast, BT2 7DB
Access: Directly from Shaftesbury Square
Date(s): (1) Sunday 24th May, (2) Sunday 31st May & (3) Sunday 7th June 2026
Starts: TBC
Age Guidance: 18+
Run Time: TBC
Disabled Access: Theatre (ground floor) is fully accessible. Toilets & Book Bar (1st floor) are accessible via a wheelchair platform lift. Carer tickets available: Call 028 9032 5881 to book.
Online
Access for the remote access will be emailed out a few days ahead, please check junk/spam folders.
Booking Info
Please book a ticket per attendee to avoid issues.
£50 - IN-PERSON TICKET - a standard ticket that gives you in-person access to participate in the workshop in the theatre for all three days.
£50 - REMOTE TICKET - a standard ticket that gives you online access to watch the workshop from anywhere for the 1st & 3rd days.
£100 - DONATION TICKET - a special ticket that gives a little extra to the exceptional and hardworking artists creating the event. Donation Tickets include both attendee options above.
