[linux-audio-dev] Dumb question regarding CMT's ambisonic plugins

Hi all, I've posted this one before on the LAU list but unfortunately I've not received any response. Please accept my apologies for cross-posting, but I am hoping that someone on LAD might be able to help me learn more on this particular topic. I would greatly appreciate help in this matter! At any rate, here's the question: I have been messing with the ambisonic plugins provided in the CMT ladspa collection. I am namely looking into a simple implementation of B-format 1ch->4ch encoder. The problem is that I am failing to figure out how to use this on a simple mono (non-encoded) sound input in order to control its diffusion over 4 channels. When running it via Ardour and sending it to 4 separate busses via this plugin, even though the x, y, and z coordinates do affect the output of the 4 channels, they do not conform to the expected 3,4,2,1 output (I presume these correspond to 4 speaker outputs, but I am also having doubts about this as well, so your help in understanding this better would be most appreciated). By now you can see that although I know a bit about ambisonics (namely theory), that I am quite a newb in this area, but for what it's worth I am eager to learn :-). The pd set of plugins pretty much work as expected but they are also designed differently, likely with discrete 4-8 output that can be then patched directly to main outs. In the case of ladspa plugins I am not even sure whether what I am getting is encoded version of a 4-channel stream that then needs to be decoded. Yet, when I tried having: mono sound-> b-format 1ch to 4ch encoder (LADSPA)->4ch to 4ch decoder (LADSPA) -> out That gave me bunch of garbage with two out of 4 channels consistently clipping, so this means that this is probably not the case either... So, to conclude I must be not using the CMT plugins properly and would therefore greatly appreciate it if someone would enlighten me. I am already aware of the theory behind the ambisonics, it's just that I am a bit puzzled how the CMT plugins (if at all) could be used with mono and/or stereo non-encoded streams in order to spatialize them in real-time. I would most appreciate a simple practical example as to how to do this (if such proves to be possible). Thank you very much! Best wishes, Ico