Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are all the rage right now. What they portend for the pro audio world remains to be seen, but as new surround sound technologies and standards come online to make the most of these emerging media formats, the changes in store will be significant.
While VR has gotten most of the attention to date, AR got its moment in the spotlight in early July with the arrival of Pokemon Go. The smartphone game, allowing players to hunt and interact with 100 imaginary species of Pokemon in real-world settings, has been an overnight blockbuster with an estimated 15 million downloads in its first 10 days.
With that in mind, we figured at least a few audio pros out there were playing, so we asked around on social media—and we were not disappointed.
Reader @zalesskiy sent us this shot of a Pidgey atop a well-appointed SSL console, hidden somewhere in Russia.
@ProSoundNews pic.twitter.com/4kFCCnD3WN
— THE (@zalesskiy) July 18, 2016
A few readers pointed us towards a tweet Nashville live/studio enginer Ben Cowherd sent PreSonus:
Hey, @PreSonus, I can't tell if this is an electrical issue or something different… pic.twitter.com/b3FR0qy782
— Ben Cowherd (@BenCowherd) July 17, 2016
But our favorite Pro Audio Pokemon Go picture was sent to us from freelance sound editor/designer and VO engineer, Lucy Johnstone, currently working on the BBC’s long-running soap opera, EastEnders. Finding this Rattata at BBC Elstree Centre, she sent a shot our way, later adding, “I was on a break, I swear!”
@ProSoundNews pic.twitter.com/Ihg9bAsAqi
— Lucy J Mitchell (@LucyJSound) July 18, 2016