Getting Started

Welcome to Orbit. This page will have you playing back an ADM file and exploring the interface in just a few minutes.

Quick start

Launch Orbit, sign in, and activate your license via the initial screen or Orbit → Manage License.... (Need a license? After signing in, click Start 14-Day Free Trial for 14 days of Orbit Pro.)
Click Open File… on the Welcome screen's Open an ADM or IAMF card (or choose File → Open File..., ⌘O) and pick an ADM BWF file.
Orbit shows a short opening splash with the file name, then the workspace. Waveforms keep building in the background — a Scanning chip in the header shows progress, and you can keep working while it scans.
Large files take longer
Orbit scans every object and bed in detail to build waveforms and prepare playback. Load times depend on both file length and number of objects — longer sessions with many objects take more time. We think the wait is worth it. Working with massive ADM files? We'd love to hear from you — drop us feedback via your account portal.
Press Play (or hit Space).
Choose a monitoring mode: Multichannel for speakers (7.1.4 or another layout), Binaural for headphones, Apple Spatial Audio for Apple's spatial rendering, or Stereo for a quick fold-down check.
Scrub through the timeline and watch objects move in the 3D visualizer.

That's it — you're up and running.

A few things to check before your first session:

License: You'll need a license to use Orbit. To start a free 14-day trial, sign in on the initial screen (or via Orbit → Manage License...) and click Start 14-Day Free Trial. Trial licenses require internet connection at least once every 24 hours.
Output device: Make sure your audio interface or headphones are connected and selected. If you've just connected a device (like AirPods or an audio interface), hit Refresh Devices to pick it up.
Head tracking (optional): If you want to use head tracking in Binaural mode, connect your AirPods or ensure your camera has permission.

For detailed system requirements, see Requirements. For full licensing details, see Licensing.

When you open an ADM BWF, Orbit:

Reads the programme metadata (name, duration, structure)
Indexes all beds and objects
Prepares automation data for real-time playback
Makes playback available immediately — waveforms build progressively in the background

Once complete, the timeline, 3D scene, and meters are ready for inspection. You can also reopen recent files quickly via File → Open Recent.

Here's a quick way to build confidence in an ADM:

Check the basics: Does the programme name and duration match what you expect?
Watch the 3D scene: Do objects appear and move as intended? Any stuck or jumping objects?
Scan the meters: Are levels healthy? Any unexpected clipping?
Try Binaural mode: Does the spatial intent translate to headphones?
Try Apple Spatial Audio: How does the mix sound through Apple's spatial rendering?
Flip to Stereo: Are essential elements still audible in the fold-down?

Quick confidence check

If you're short on time, inspect three moments: the opening, the densest section, and the final minute. These often reveal the most common issues.

File won't load?

No audio?

Check your output device under Output & Devices in the sidebar's Monitoring tab (or Preferences ▸ Audio & Monitoring)
Make sure your monitoring mode matches your setup (e.g., Binaural for headphones)

Objects not moving?

For more help, see Troubleshooting.

Now that you're up and running:

Overview — Learn what each part of the interface does
Timeline & Transport — Understand the waveform views and scrubbing
Monitoring Modes — Dive deeper into multichannel, binaural, Apple Spatial Audio, and stereo options
QC Workflows — Structured approaches for different QC scenarios