Waves NX User Manual

Nx Head

Tracker

User Guide

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Waves Nx Head Tracker – User Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .................................................................................................... 3

Why Head Tracking Matters ................................................................................................... 3

Functions and Features ................................................................................... 4

Battery .................................................................................................................................... 4

Attaching the Nx Head Tracker to Your Headphones ........................................................... 4

Button Functions ..................................................................................................................... 4

LED Indications ...................................................................................................................... 5

Pairing Nx Head Tracker with Waves Nx 3D Audio Apps ...................................................... 5

Pairing Nx Head Tracker with the Nx Virtual Mix Room or Abbey Road Studio 3 Plugin ....... 5

Head Tracking Application—Bluetooth Tracker Tab ...................................... 6

Pairing Instructions ......................................................................................... 8

Updating the Firmware ........................................................................................................... 9

Extras ............................................................................................................. 12

Appendix A: Troubleshooter ................................................................................................. 12

Appendix B: Setting up a Session with Multiple Nx Tracker Users ...................................... 13

Appendix C: Pairing Nx Head Tracker with Waves Nx 3D Audio Apps ................................ 15

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Waves Nx Head Tracker – User Guide

Introduction

The Waves Nx Head Tracker is a small Bluetooth device that attaches to your

headphones. It tracks your head movements in 360 degrees to enhance the realistic and

immersive 3D audio experience created by Waves Nx technology.

The Nx Head Tracker can be used together with several types of Waves Nx software. Use

the Nx Head Tracker along with the Nx desktop and mobile apps for 3D audio on

headphones to experience the music, movies, and games you love, in 3D audio— on your

desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile device.

Audio professionals can use the Nx Head Tracker, along with the Nx Virtual Mix Room

Over Headphones plugin or Abbey Road Studio 3, to recreate on headphones the ideal

spatial acoustics of a high-end studio, thus improving your headphone mixing and

recording experience.

Why Head Tracking Matters

When you hear sounds in the real world, your head movements help your brain create

a sense of three-dimensional audio depth. As your head moves, your brain remembers

where the sound used to be and where it is now, combines this with its knowledge that

the head (and not the external source) has moved, and uses this information to locate

the external source and construct a three-dimensional “audio scene.”

However, when you listen to sound on headphones, the audio scene constantly shifts

with your head, so your experience of three-dimensional auditory space is gone.

By tracking your head movements and adjusting the audio to the orientation of your

head, the Nx Head Tracker (combined with Nx software) helps reconstruct the realistic

three-dimensional audio experience of sounds coming at you from external sources in

the real world.

There are several ways you can track your head movements to enhance the Nx

experience:

•

Use the Nx Head Tracker device.

•

Use your computer’s camera.

•

If you are using the Nx Virtual Mix Room or the Abbey Road Studio 3 plugin,
you can use both methods simultaneously (“Sensor Fusion” mode) to
achieve a faster tracking rate.

For a detailed comparison between these options, see the Overview tab of the

Nx Head Tracker webpage.

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Waves Nx Head Tracker – User Guide

Functions and Features

Battery

The Nx Head Tracker device works with any standard AAA battery,

which provides approximately 40 hours of use. Replace the battery

through the bottom hatch. The device will go to sleep automatically

after a few minutes if it’s not connected or not moving. In sleep

mode, the battery life can last for months.

Attaching the Nx Head Tracker to Your Headphones

After you insert a AAA battery into the Nx Head

Tracker, position the device at the top-center of

the headphone arc, with the Nx logo facing

forward (i.e., the battery in the back). The Nx

Head Tracker will not track your head movements

properly if you place it off-center or facing

backward.

Wrap the strap around the headphone’s

headband and attach it to the hook on the other

side. The strap can be disconnected at both ends

for replacement and any standard rubber band

can be used if needed.

Button Functions

A short press (under two seconds) in any state will place the unit

in advertising mode. In this mode, the device can be detected and

paired with your computer.

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Waves Nx Head Tracker – User Guide

LED Indications

Sleep

LED off

Advertising

Blinks blue

Connecting

Solid blue

Connected

Blinks blue every 15
seconds

Low Battery

Red instead of blue

Identifying

Blinks white

Updating

Blinks green

Pairing Nx Head Tracker with Waves Nx 3D Audio Apps

For detailed instructions about how to pair the Nx Head Tracker device with the

Waves Nx desktop and mobile apps for 3D audio on headphones, refer to the apps’

user guides:

• Waves Nx for Windows and Mac – User Guide

• Waves Nx for Mobile (iOS and Android) – User Guide

Pairing Nx Head Tracker with the Nx Virtual Mix Room or Abbey Road
Studio 3 Plugin

To use the Nx Head Tracker device with the Nx Virtual Mix Room plugin, you must

first pair them. This is done from a dedicated

and closes automatically when you open and close the plugin. For head tracking to be

enabled, the application must remain open. If the application is closed, head tracking

will stop. This will not affect the plugin itself or your DAW in any way; you can simply

restart the head tracking application using the Settings button (Abbey Road Studio 3)

head tracking application

that opens

or Restart button (Nx Virtual Mix Room). This reestablishes tracking.