Specify Output Channel(s) for Listener or Output Listeners to Separate Playback Devices

Note: While I am working with Unity, I figure this question is better categorized under “FMOD 5”, since I’m sure this will require the low level API.

Context:
I’m working in Unity, and want to output 2 channel audio for each of the 4 players. Each player will get their own mix based on position, orientation, and velocity. I currently have a listener for each player, but of course the listeners are mixed down into a a single stereo mix. I want each listener to contribute only to it’s own 2 channel mix.

I want to output 2 channels (stereo) for each listener and send them (total of 8 channels) over to an interface which will send each channel to the appropriate headphones.

The hardware side of things:
I can see 2 possible solutions, first is something like


which will take 8 channels over USB and offer 8 separate outputs.

The second is multiple devices, which, now that I think of it, would be even better, since it looks like I could pipe the audio out to each monitor over displayport/hdmi (each player has their own monitor, and each monitor acts as a playback device in windows).

So the question is:
How can I, with FMOD, output a separate 2 channel mix for each (up to 4) listener/player and send them out to either multiple playback devices or through a single 8-channel stream?

I realize this might just not be supported as it’s very edge case but hopefully you get the idea of what I’m trying to do and hopefully it’s possible to do with FMOD.

Thanks!

  • Stef