Published on 13^th December, 2025

HARMAN Professional recently hosted an exclusive workshop in Mumbai to introduce audio professionals, artists, and engineers to FLUX:: SPAT Revolution, an advanced immersive audio platform. The session showcased how immersive audio is redefining live entertainment and music production. Over three days, HARMAN deployed SPAT Revolution to create a fully immersive environment, demonstrating that premium sound experiences are not limited to large outdoor stages. The goal was to show that immersive setups can be achieved in diverse spaces.

Elisha Gladson Yeshwanth, opened the workshop by explaining that SPAT Revolution is part of FLUX::’s suite of tools, which also includes MiRA, a multichannel immersive analyzer designed to visualise audio system behavior both dimensionally and spectrally. “Immersive audio”, Yeshwanth said, “is more than a buzzword”.

“What makes audio truly immersive is the technology transforming how concerts and music evolve,” they explained. “It creates a deeper connection with the audience.”

Unlike traditional stereo setups, for immersive deployments speakers are placed strategically around a venue to create a three-dimensional sound field. SPAT Revolution, developed in collaboration with IRCAM, a leading audio research institute from France, allows users to build virtual rooms, position speakers and place audio elements dynamically using an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.

“SPAT handles the complexity via an intuitive UI. You can visualise everything in a graphical format, making it easy for artists to focus on creativity rather than math,” Yeshwanth added.

The workshop spotlighted the FLUX:: immersive core values Localisation, Envelopment, and Sonic Artistry, principles that define the future of audio experiences. Localisation ensures precise spatial alignment, linking sound to visual or emotional cues for unmatched realism. Envelopment elevates perception by creating a sound field that draws listeners in, much like panoramic visuals paired with environmental soundscapes in projects such as Fly Over Chicago, adding depth and spaciousness through simulated acoustic environments. Finally, Sonic Artistry represents the creative process behind these experiences, how they are crafted, which is where FLUX:: SPAT Revolution empowers creators to shape immersive soundscapes with flexibility and precision.

“Our brain is programmed to look for the source of the sound and then follow up with hearing,” Yeshwanth explained, citing an example where a baby’s cry made attendees instinctively turn around. He compared audio immersion to visual immersion: “To feel immersed, sound must surround you, just like an image extending beyond your peripheral vision.”

To demonstrate these principles, HARMAN created an immersive setup with video-mapped projection and speakers placed around the space. Using SPAT Revolution, engineers visualized speaker positions, moved audio objects in real time and designed dynamic soundscapes through the intuitive interface.

Tablanari and Pandit Ravi Chandra, perform with the SPAT Revolution software in full effect, enthralling attendees, and giving the artists' perspective on SPAT'S efficacy

How Performing Artists Experience SPAT Revolution in Immersive Sound
For Swaroopa Anantha, popularly known as Tablanari, FLUX:: SPAT Revolution isn’t just software, it’s an instrument. “I think of SPAT as another important instrument in my repertoire,” she said during the HARMAN workshop discussion.

Swaroopa described her first experience with SPAT Revolution as a creative shift. “You’re no longer just creating a track, you’re creating sounds within a space,” she said, likening the process to choreography. “There’s something that holds anchor, something that moves, something you can place in different parts of the physical space. You’re creating a drama that unfolds as the track plays,” she explained.

One of the most exciting aspects for Swaroopa was accessibility. “I could do all of this at home—no massive setup, no treated room. Just regular headphones,” she shared. SPAT Revolution’s adaptability means producers can design immersive mixes anywhere and later map them to any speaker configuration.

Her advice to musicians: “Explore this. Don’t be intimidated, you don’t need to be an engineer. Just spend time with it,” she advised. “It has expanded my mind as an artist and composer. This isn’t the future, it’s the present.”

As the session wrapped up, Swaroopa invited sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Chandra to join her on stage for a collaborative performance, demonstrating how SPAT can seamlessly integrate into any genre, from traditional to experimental, while giving audiences a truly immersive experience.

MT Aditya Srinivasan presents SPAT Revolution's host of benefits for sound engineers

An Audio Engineer’s Perspective on Immersive Audio and FLUX:: SPAT Revolution
“As audio engineers, we’re always asking for more speakers and often hear pushback around ‘why so many?’ Thanks to HARMAN Professional and FLUX:: SPAT Revolution, we now have a solid reason,” said MT Aditya Srinivasan with a smile.

He noted that SPAT Revolution can achieve latencies under 5 milliseconds (imperceptible to the human ear), compared to 10–30 seconds in some immersive formats. “That’s a game-changer, especially for live performances” he said.

One of the main strengths of FLUX:: SPAT Revolution is the fact that it is entirely protocol-agnostic. Immersive protocols are the backbone of modern spatial audio systems, covering metadata exchange (ADM-OSC), audio transport (AoIP support of e.g. Dante, Ravenna, AVB), and format standards (e.g. Dolby Atmos, eclipsa audio). They make immersive audio practical, flexible, and globally interoperable. SPAT Revolution provides this flexibility and allows engineers to add reverbs and effects without cluttering the mix and prepare immersive designs at home for deployment in any venue. Most importantly, this allows SPAT Revolution to scale effortlessly, whether for small conferences, musical theatre productions, or large concert setups, making it the most versatile solution for immersive audio.

Exclusive: Behind the Console with MT Aditya Srinivasan

Standing behind the console, MT Aditya Srinivasan walked the PALM Expo Magazine team through the live setup.

“The standard console runs playback in sync with SPAT Revolution. The indicators show when audio is popping up, yellow lights signal active levels as beats trigger sources,” he explained, pointing to sections that highlighted pre-automated track movements while objects in the room were being moved dynamically. “We were mixing live and automating simultaneously.”

He recalled using SPAT Revolution earlier in the year at PALM Expo 2025 during HARMAN’s Live Arena feature but said this time the experience felt even more transformative. “The ability to do live immersive audio without worrying about latency, while keeping everything easily configurable and scalable, is incredible. Whether it’s a small room with four speakers or a large venue with 400 speakers, I can take the same mix and adapt it,” he said.

For Srinivasan, SPAT Revolution’s accessibility is its biggest strength. “It’s easy to configure, integrate with existing projects, and user-friendly. That flexibility changes how we design and perceive live audio,” he emphasised. With HARMAN Professional’s support, the team is already planning to implement SPAT Revolution for the upcoming tours in January and February 2026.