Multiple audio channels to multiple outputs

[tonetechnician]

Hey everyone!

I'm trying to build a multitrack media player using webchimera.js and libVLC. This media player needs to be able to play (up to) a 24 track .wav file, or 24 individual tracks simultaneously (up to) 24 seperate outputs on my audio device (we are using Ethernet AVB).

What is the maximum channel count that VLC is able to play and is there a way to interface with VLC to ensure that each track is routed to the correct output?

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Is it 24 track or 24 channels in one track?

[tonetechnician]

Thanks for the reply Jean-Baptiste. I'm sorry for my slow reply, we have been very busy with projects.

Currently we'd like to design it for a single .wav file containing 24 tracks with the same length.

The idea then is to package the player into .js app (using webchimera.js) that will then be able to play the audio alongside multiple videos that have no audio.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

24 tracks, but how do you downmix? Everything as mono?

[tonetechnician]

There is no mixing that needs to happen with the 24 track wav. Each audio track stem needs to go to an individual output. Essentially like a stereo file except now with 24 stems
For instance,
track 1 -> audio device output 1
track 2 -> audio device output 2
track 3 -> audio device output 3
and so on,

Does this make sense? The reason we need a configuration such as this one is because we are sending mono tracks to an external renderer that then renders 3D spatial audio.

Sorry once again for the slow reply. Thank you so much for your help!

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Sorry, but not doable.

[tonetechnician]

Alright,

and would it be possible to play multiple 1 track WAVs to different output on the audio device simultaneously, so

like,
track1.wav -> audio device output 1
track2.wav -> audio device output 2
track3.wav -> audio device output 3
and so on

I feel like since you're able to do 5.1 sound (6 mono tracks to 6 audio device outputs), why would it not be possible to increase the output channel count?

This is, of course, assuming the audio device we are using has capability for multiple outputs

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Yes. But do you need synchro?

[tonetechnician]

Great! Do you mean yes to the
"track1.wav -> audio device output 1
track2.wav -> audio device output 2
track3.wav -> audio device output 3"
method?

or the other?

Yes, we'd need to synchronize playback so each stem plays at the same time. This is assuming each .wav (in the multiple .wav file option) is the same sample rate (and ofc bit depth)

Thanks again for your replies