Former BBC Radio Senior Producer Dirk Maggs has been at the forefront of immersive audio storytelling, since before anyone used the phrase. In the 1990s, he coined the term “audio films” to describe his work.

Maggs is also a pioneer in the use of Dolby Surround in radio broadcasting. And now he’s using his vast audio production palette to create highly engaging immersive experiences through podcasts and audiobooks.

Alien, Sandman, X-Files, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the resurgence of scripted audio

With a large list of Writer, Director and Producer credits and awards under his belt, such as “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, “Superman”, “Spider-Man”, “Batman “, the” Alien “franchise,” X-Files: Cold Cases “and more recently the” Sandman “comic book series, Maggs was part of the re-emergence of audio storytelling and its subsequent explosion.

“Suddenly the world has rediscovered the magic of scripted audio, as opposed to one-voice audiobook readings,” Maggs said. “Something with a cast of more than one actor, with layered sound effects and hopefully music. People are realizing what a great way to tell stories is.

Some of the latest immersive audio content is reaching the public as a result of decades of development in the hallowed halls of terrestrial radio, by innovators such as Dirk Maggs. What they needed was a catalyst to bring it more into the mainstream, and in this case, credit the internet. Apple and Dolby have also played a role, focusing attention on the launch of new technologies that promote the playback of immersive audio content.

Maggs on his early years and DC Comics

Looking back, Maggs recalled his extended time working on DC Comics audio stories for BBC Radio.

“I have developed this style of storytelling for years. I started with DC Comics stories in the late 80s, doing a Superman docudrama for BBC Radio, trying to make it look more like a movie than a radio show. It worked so well that we did Batman and Spider-Man and more in the 1990s, ”Maggs said. “But that’s where it all started.”

He explained some of the initial methods he used to create immersive experiences in a radio format. And discussed how well-known American film actors played a leading role.

“I wanted to add some big cinematic sound effects and sweeping music and so on. But we were on a tight budget, so a lot of it was to research sound effects that sounded vaguely filmic in the BBC’s sound effects library, ”Maggs said. “For one score, we used commercial library music, which was often large orchestral pieces. And we could access Hollywood level talent because there is a large community of expat American actors in London, which you would often see in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies. All of these things helped create my cinematic sounding style.

The philosophy of cinema informs its audio narration

Maggs said his immersive audio storytelling style has come increasingly closer to how movies are created.

“I’m coming back after years of problem-solving with small budgets. The idea has shifted from “Let’s make it sound like a movie” to “Let’s use movie storytelling techniques from screenplay to final mix,” Maggs said. “Something that uses the grammar of the movie, but in purely audio terms, with a well-written, economical, dynamic and propulsive script, with compelling characters.

“This has always been the mission statement and remains at the forefront for me.”

All systems go

Maggs introduced Dolby Pro-Logic Surround and, later, Dolby Digital to BBC Radio. But more recently, with broadcasters and streaming sites releasing mostly stereo products while debating a common output format for spatial audio such as Dolby Atmos, it has stalled using audio plug-ins for create immersive audio experiences in the stories.

“For example, I have used Wave Arts Panorama on occasion. I used it on a couple from the Audible Alien series. In Alien Out Of The Shadows, there was a scene where a character was hiding on the deck of the ship and an alien was walking in front of and behind the listener, chasing him, which was pretty fun to do, ”Maggs said. “So yeah, I’m playing around with artificial and enlarged binaural elements, like the musical score on Sandman, until the big companies agree on a delivery format for spatial audio.

A myriad of ways to listen to immersive audio stories

While mixing podcasts and audiobooks, he also knows the different playback devices. Consumers use a variety of different devices to access audio stories. When mixing, he’s keenly aware of listeners who may have limited playback technology at their disposal.

“It goes back to the days of the BBC where I wanted to make sure everything was mono-compatible for people listening on really basic equipment,” Maggs said. “Information important to history should never be lost. And in the future, all systems that deliver spatial sound through two headphones will use some form of artificial binaural coding, which hopefully means no one is left behind.

His holistic perspective on mixing audio stories involves finding a balance between dialogue, sound design, and sound effects.

“History is king. Dialogue must be clear. But at the same time, I keep everything else as close as possible without overwhelming it, ”Maggs said. “That’s why I mixed the first Sandman series nine times before I was happy. When you have explosions and impacts, like in Morpheus’ battle with Doctor John Dee, it’s important to remember that noises help tell a story only if you can integrate the dialogue around them.

Dawn of a trend with spatial audio

When asked about the future of spatial audio when it comes to immersive audio content, Maggs sees some momentum. And he believes it will benefit consumers.

“Space audio is not in our future. It’s happening now, ”Maggs said. “Apple has released an immersive audio aspect in its audio software that opens up a lot of possibilities. I can’t wait to get back to spatial audio and show how incredibly good our medium is at storytelling.