3D spatial audio is an emerging and innovative sound platform that is making waves around the world for the truly immersive experience it delivers to audiences. Sounds & Motion has established a partnership with Barco to deliver the IOSONO branded pro audio technology for the Australian market.
Sounds & Motion Projects
Shanghai’s Grand Theatre - October 2016
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One of our Chinese based clients, Full Dimension Media, recently designed and installed a 3D sound system in Shanghai’s Grand Theatre. We were delighted to be invited to provide 3D mixing services to deliver an immersive soundscape for this new installation. When the Grand Theatre opened in 1998, Professor Chen Qiangbin composed a melody that has since been played in the halls of the Grand Theatre at every performance to signal the start of each concert. This melody, The Echo Between Heaven and Earth, which is widely known in China provides a unique sound signature to the Shanghai Grand Theatre. For the launch of this new immersive sound installation at the Shanghai Grand Theatre, Professor Chen Qiangbin re-worked this iconic melody and rearranged the piece using a full compliment of orchestral strings and brass, choir, traditional Chinese gongs and other percussion. The space itself is approximately eighty meters long by twenty meters wide. The immersive sound system, comprised of 90 speakers and was powered by Barco’s IOSONO Core processor. The 3D / immersive sound track was mixed by our MD, Des O’Neill. |
Neil working hard on the Choir mix
Professor Chen listening to the mix
Mr Zou, Professor Chen, Des O'Neill
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The Great World Project - 2017
Off site rehearsals for live performers.
Plotting the spatial positions of the live performers.
Soundtrack pre-mix in the studio
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The Great World project was a brand new piece of 3D theatre commissioned and produced by Full Dimension Media. This exciting project in Shanghai combined original pre recorded musical score with 3D effects and live performers. The work comprised of three pieces each of approximately 15 minutes in duration and each creation was composed by a different composer. Having different composers create each segment delivered a very diverse range of work. “SiZhu” an immersive work composed by George Su, explored relationships between urban and rural environments as well as modern and traditional ideals. SiZhu incorporated live musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments with it’s rich immersive soundscape to transport the audience from a modern transport hub to a rural Chinese tea house.
“Sunny Day” the second immersive work composed by local composer Shining, was an up-beat contemporary music piece. This piece incorporated a live chorus, all singers wore lapel microphones and their voices were positioned and matched to their physical location in the performance area. “Wushu” the third piece, was an immersive contemporary dance piece composed by Yinjing. This composition combined organic orchestral sounds with 3D sound effects, challenging rhythms and ghostly vocal sounds which referenced ancient Chinese mythology. “I used Barco’s IOSONO CORE spatial audio processor to mix the content for all the segments of the Great World Project. This 3D technology is extremely useful for the creation of immersive and 3D content as well as artistic expression. As a creator and mix engineer I am no longer bound by technical limitations of predefined speaker layouts and channel based planners, I simply place the sounds where I want them to be in a 3D space and don’t have to decide on which speakers to send the sounds to, I can just get on with the mix” – Des O’Neill, 3D Mix engineer, Great World Project. |
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News Corp - Come Together 2015
In an Australian first, Rizer, a dynamic production company based in Sydney, engaged Sounds & Motion to deliver an immersive 3D soundscape for News Corp Australia’s ‘Come Together 2015’. The annual event used to announce their major commercial initiatives for the year ahead to their clients, partners, media and creative agencies. Held at Stage 7 at Fox Studios Australia, on 30 July, up to 1000 people were treated to an a unique multi-sensory experience, reflective of News Corp’s focus on innovation. Sounds & Motion created and delivered the immersive sound experience for the event. The music was composed by renowned Australian music producer Paul Mac and the orchestral arrangements were created by George Ellis, conductor and musical director. We then custom made the sound design to compliment the musical score and integrate with the special graphics animation and video content. The result was an exciting sound experience that completely immersed the audience, drawing them into and making them part of their surrounds. In addition to the sound design, Sounds & Motion was integral to Rizer’s event production. Managing the audio components included pre-recording the orchestra, mixing all sound elements in IOSONO’s Spatial Audio Workstation, providing all audio personnel, sound system design and installation. The event speaker system consisted of 44 individual speaker channels, each individually addressed by the IOSONO Processor. Related coverage: www.newscorpaustralia.com/campaigns/come-together-2015 www.inhandsomelight.com.au |
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North Bund Opera Week - Shanghai
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Sounds & Motion joined Full Dimension Multimedia and Barco to deliver an immersive sound experience for audiences attending Shanghai’s North Bund Opera week in October 2015.
This outdoor concert series was staged at North Bund on the banks of the Huangpu River and comprised of three concerts. The first concert was a production of La Traviata directed by Marco Carniti and conducted by Xu Zhong, the second, a Gala Symphony concert, conducted by Xu Zhong, the third a Gala Concert - Excerpts from Opera, conducted by Xu Zhong and Sergio Alapont, and featured Soprano, Daniela Schillaci, Mezzo-soprano, Elena Belfiore, Tenor, Emanuele D’Aguanno and Baritone, Piero Terranova. The speaker system consisted of 11-line array stacks and out fill arrays for the main PA and over 250 speakers configured and rigged above the audience area. The entire system was driven by Barco’s IOSONO CORE processor and delivered a truly immersive listening experience for the audience. Thanks to event producers Full Dimension Multimedia and Barco for what turned out to be a great collaboration. |
Barco Case Studies
Here we take a look at some of the events Barco has been integral in creating with it’s global partners using the IOSONO CORE Audio Processor.
Immersive Sound Chamber
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"Björk" - The Musuem of Modern Art
Barco provided its innovative, object-based audio solution to create an immersive film and music experience chronicling the extensive, multi-faceted career of the singer and composer, Björk at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Drawing from more than 20 years of her outstanding career, the exhibition brought together sounds, videos, objects and instruments. Vivid three-dimensional soundscapes provided by the IOSONO system plunged visitors into an immersive experience of Björk's most recent work, the 10-minute video for the song Black Lake. For the installation, the IOSONO CORE audio processor and 49 speakers by Bowers & Wilkins filled the specially built room with engulfing sounds with the video played on two large screens. “We are thrilled to contribute our latest innovations in immersive sound to the Björk exhibition to further elevate this outstanding show,” comments Brian Claypool, Senior Director Strategic Business Development, Entertainment for Barco. “Our new IOSONO technology platform is ideal for this exhibition and offers a refined dimension in sound that we are eager to share with the world.” Find out more |
Virtual Reality Centre
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The Virtuality Center, Riyadh
The Barco Audio Technologies team installed the IOSONO sound system in Riyadh’s new Virtuality Center. The Center accommodates a large science exhibition focusing on information technology and communication. Barco's IOSONO 3D sound is installed a room focusing completely on sound, letting visitors go on an acoustic journey, discovering the secrets of the human voice. Find out more |
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Immersive Film Experience
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PLAYING THE SPACE
PLAYING THE SPACE, is a music documentary setting new standards for immersive entertainment experiences. Concerts of various musical styles were recorded in different Berlin music locations. “With 180 degree projection and specially mixed for IOSONO sound, PLAYING THE SPACE is a cinematic journey that goes beyond just watching a concert. The audience will acoustically and visually experience the unique characteristics of the portrayed music spaces," says Christian Weissig from Fraunhofer HHI. Find out more |
Outdoor Events
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Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
China’s first IOSONO 3D outdoor concert was held on the waterfront in October 2013 at Shanghai’s North Bund. The acclaimed Shanghai Symphony Orchestra played European and Chinese classics for an audience of 700. Against the backdrop the nightly city skyline visitors enjoyed concert hall acoustics in the open air location. The waterfront location had a stunning view and was nested between new high rise buildings on a staging area constructed specifically for this onetime event. The 90 piece orchestra was reinforced using the IOSONO sound system specifically configured to give a crystal clear listening experience to every audience member. “Besides using normal speakers above the orchestra as one might find in typical events like this, our team used additional speakers surrounding the audience and overhead to add reverberation, creating a concert hall without walls,” says Jeff Levison, Executive VP of IOSONO China. Find out more |
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Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, 2013
40,000 people saw the open air production of Bizet's "Carmen" set against the splendid backdrop of Sydney Harbour. |
Multimedia Production
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Deutsche Oper, Germany
In Germany, IOSONO worked with artist network phase7 for their multimedia production - the walk-in opera "Celestial Mechanics - Displaced and Relocated" in August 2013 at Deutsche Oper Berlin. This event broke new new ground in terms of staging and technology. The production guided visitors through the foyer of Deutsche Oper Berlin, making the audience part of the installation. With large scale projections and immersive soundscapes, "Celestial Mechanics" was truly a 360 degree-experience. Walking through the production, the audience hears storms howling and sees lightning and stars fall from the sky. While four singers and six musicians play live, not always to be seen, the strings only play virtually. With the help of the IOSONO sound system, the audience gets fully wrapped in sound arrangements, complemented by striking visuals. Find out more |
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