@ TerraForce1: Thanks for the nice feedback. Three comments:
1) The channel-mapping with the method in the guide is correct (we checked this again and again before publishing). Despite the 'good' results with this method, it is very likely that results are different from those optained with special 5.1-mix (btw: I know California Hotel from the DVD very well too
).
2) The Ambisonic method is more about creating a 'sound-image', not about isolating effects & instruments to discrete channels. Given this, having effects coming out of the same speaker as with the DVD-5.1-mix (with emphasis on mix) should not be expected.
Another way to put this: B-Pan creates an Ambisonic 1st-order B-file (=WXYZ). The fact that we decided for the guide to outline decoding to 5.0 is just because most of us have a 5.1-system. However, decoding could be easily made for 4.0, 8.0, 12.0, etc. etc. speaker rigs
3) You can experiment with the `controlled opposite' (vs. 'strict soundfiled'). Richard Furse finds that the `controlled opposite' equations produce a larger listening area at the expense of some directional information (
Ambisonic Decoding Equations . Keep us posted on your preference.
Regards,
Andreas