Ambrio’s Spatial Performance Mixer lets DJs place each channel in 360 degrees
The five-channel mixer converts stereo to whatever speaker array is in the room, with no external hardware or software.
Each of the five channels on Ambrio’s Spatial Performance Mixer (SPM) can be positioned independently in 360 degrees, across speaker arrays of up to 8.1, Gearnews reported. Ambrio is a newcomer, and this is its first mixer.
It needs at least four speakers. Ambrio says the SPM works with speakers from any brand, with no external hardware or software, using a custom algorithm to convert stereo material to whatever array is in the room. “No complex routing, no preparation,” the company says. “The artist plugs in and plays.”
Underneath the spatial layer, it is a five-channel mixer. Every channel has a four-band EQ, a highpass/lowpass filter, trim and cue. Spatial control extends to reverb and spatial delay, which Ambrio describes as “traveling through space instead of sitting on top of the mix.” A display has separate performance and setup views. A big orange button is a one-touch reset that turns everything on or off, and Ambrio suggests using it for transitions and climaxes.
Spatial monitoring lets you hear what’s happening from the booth, with four-point monitoring and adjustable delay. A spatial algorithm manages output energy, so perceived loudness stays constant whether the mixer is feeding stereo speakers or six.
Co-founder Nicolas Geysens frames the spatial side as one tool among several. “Spatial control is the innovation, but first and foremost, the Ambrio SPM is a top-of-the-line mixer to express music intuitively,” he says. “You work the faders, you throw a delay, you sweep a filter, and now you can also make the sound move.” Ambrio, he adds, looks at a mixer “the same way dub culture always has: as an instrument.”
The SPM has a built-in sound card for streaming from a DAW over USB-C. Inputs include four RCA line pairs, two RCA phono inputs with custom-built preamps, and two XLR/TRS combo inputs for mics and instruments. There is a send and return for external effects.
Outputs are analog mains on balanced XLR, four balanced booth outputs, a headphone cue and a stereo record out. Audio over Ethernet works in both directions. For control, the mixer supports MIDI and OSC, and it has CV sync and expression pedal inputs.
Ambrio is running the Ambrio Incubator Program ahead of release. Starting this month, SPM units go on loan to clubs, festivals, collectives and academic institutions in Europe, North America and Australia. Shipping is planned for 2027. It can’t be bought or pre-ordered yet.
The first public outing is at Amsterdam Dance Event. The mixer will be heard on Friday, October 23 at Currents – Futures of Listening, FIBER’s spatial sound program at ADE. On Saturday, October 24, two masterclasses at Loods6 let attendees try it. A priority list is open through the Ambrio website.
