Archive 2021: AR Experiment: Retro Studio in Augmented Reality

A virtual retro studio materialised on a wooden table through augmented reality. Speakers, VU meters, mixing faders, and a keyboard — all rendered with physically accurate materials and placed in real space using Adobe Aero.

The experiment sits at the intersection of 3D material design and spatial computing. Each asset was modeled in Cinema 4D and textured in Adobe Substance 3D, focusing on realistic surface behaviour — brushed metal housings, translucent VU meter glass, rubber knob grips, and the warm grain of wooden speaker cabinets. Adobe Dimension served as the staging environment for lighting and material validation before exporting the assets into Aero for AR placement.

Substance materials

Getting the materials right was central to the experiment. Augmented reality is unforgiving — objects that look convincing on screen can feel flat and synthetic once composited into a real-world camera feed. Adobe Substance 3D made it possible to author PBR materials with fine control over roughness, micro-surface detail, and edge wear, giving each object the kind of subtle imperfection that makes it read as physical rather than digital.

Ambisonic audio layer

The visual scene is paired with an ambisonic music layer produced in Logic Pro using the Roland Zen-Core sound engine. The spatial audio reinforces the illusion of presence — sound sources correspond to the virtual objects in the AR scene, anchoring the experience in three-dimensional space.