The revolution that has taken place in audio for cinema, television and live performance during the last decade is undeniable. But it’s important to remember that sound technology advancements have also permeated many other spaces, from houses of worship to corporate spaces – and, of course, visitor attractions (hereafter referred to as VAs).
Like those other sectors, discussion of VAs, including museums and theme parks, has – perhaps inevitably – been dominated by immersive audio technology especially in the last few years. However, there have also been plenty of other innovations in individual system design, as well as a marked evolution of thinking about how sound integrates with ideas regarding content and the overall AV experience.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
In this article we’ll get an update on the general willingness of VAs to invest in new audio technology at the moment; the latest developments surrounding immersive audio, including the kinds of attractions where adoption has been the strongest; and how audio is preparing to meet the requirements of the next generation of visual experiences using augmented reality and greater personalisation.
A cursory glance at some of the latest data about VA attendance suggests that attendance has come back pretty strongly since the pandemic – albeit still down considerably from pre-Covid levels. For example, VisitEngland published its 2023 Annual Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions in July 2024, which reported that visits in England were were up 11 percent in 2023 compared to 2022. However, numbers were still down by 28 percent on 2019 – a partial reflection, no doubt, of the ongoing and profound cost-of-living crisis.
“These statistics give us a window into the challenges many of England’s attractions are still facing, but it’s encouraging to see that the number of visits are slowly climbing,” remarked Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England. “We know that visiting heritage attractions can do so much for our mental health and wellbeing, so we want to see visitor numbers continue to grow. Everyone deserves to access, and learn from, the places and spaces which helped to shape who we are.”
With technology universally regarded as an important tool in encouraging multi-generational audiences to attend VAs, logic suggests there will also have been a renewed intention to invest in new AV. In general, this appears so, although it seems that – even with all the innovation that has taken place of late – audio can still sometimes suffer at the expense of fresh expenditure on lighting and video.
LOWER PRIORITY
Andy Hook, director of technology strategy at d&b group, comments: “Audio almost always seems a lower priority to video and lighting, and the first thing to get cut when budgets are squeezed. Possibly that is because it’s ‘easy’ for stakeholders to see the impact of scaling back visual elements, particularly now displays are seen as part of the fabric of building projects. But spatial audio is starting to change that as it can add so much value to an experience.”
To this end, d&b recently opened the Immersive Technology Experience Centre (ITEC) at the Science Museum in London. Designed to attract key stakeholders involved in the realisation and delivery of global experiential projects from all event production sectors, ITEC incorporates five bespoke studio environments to “enable, inspire and shape the future of audience entertainment, while adding depth to its education programme, technology demonstrations and client presentations”.
Hook adds: “We believe that stakeholders need to see and hear immersive AVLM technologies to fully understand them, and to maximise their value and role in the delivery of immersive experiences. We now usually find that, once stakeholders have heard our d&b Soundscape system, they understand the value of live spatial audio and it’s easier for audio to be seen as a valuable investment.”
COMPELLING CASE
There is agreement elsewhere that, once experienced and understood, VAs often face a compelling case for more investment in impactful audio. Oliver Thomas, commercial director at PMC, says: “I speak from a heavily biased audio perspective, so of course my view is that a greater priority could and should be placed on audio! [However] I think what is clear to see to all is that – where audio has been equally prioritised – the attraction, its effect and, let’s say, its immersive nature, is pulled off more convincingly.”
It might also be argued that VAs have more factors to consider than some venues, meaning decisions around expenditure are more complex, especially in a competitive market where audience preferences change swiftly and unpredictably.
Brandon Heinz, product manager of Renkus-Heinz, says of AV investment priorities: “It ultimately depends on the project and what kind of experience the venue owner is trying to create. There are many examples where the audio is just as important as the video and lighting – for example, a theme park where the audio, scenery and lighting all come together to create the experience for the visitor – but there are also projects where audio is secondary to the visual aspects like, for instance, an informative audio track, or background music quietly playing in an art gallery. The audio is still important, but it plays a supporting role, so there are different considerations for the sound design in these cases.”
In terms of the most significant area of development for VA audio, it will come as no surprise to discover that technologies we can bracket under the next generation audio banner – ie. various kinds of immersive, surround and spatial sound – have been the most salient. In particular, many attractions have recognised that audio can now be part of telling stories in a different way – one that is likely to connect more deeply across generations of visitors, not least those who are digital natives.
Immersive spatial audio, believes Hook, is in the process of “reshaping how attractions deliver narratives, making experiences more memorable, engaging and lifelike. Spatial audio systems allow sound to appear from all around the audience, more accurately representing real life and allowing audiences to be transcended to new worlds. By making sounds accurately come from where your eyes see them, audio imaging is improved, and your brain can make more sense of the experience – creating a deeper connection to it. Adding virtual acoustics can also help enhance how audiences can be taken to new locations – beyond what is possible with traditional scenery and visuals”.
MAGICAL DIMENSION
As to specific recent developments, d&b Soundscape is the company’s live spatial audio system allowing for pin-point accuracy of audio object placement in 360 degrees, as well as acoustic emulation of spaces. A d&b immersive business unit has been established to develop the next generation of immersive technologies and workflows, whilst notable recent installations include Lilidorei at the Alnwick Garden in Northumberland, UK, where Andy Hook says d&b Soundscape added “a magical dimension to the theme park experience, with its imaginary inhabitants brought to life by the spatial sound capabilities. This expanded the experience beyond what could be achieved by visuals and scenery alone – igniting all the senses of visitors and transplanting them to a more believable world”.
For PMC, Thomas agrees immersive audio has been a dominant trend: “It has definitely been the adoption of immersive audio formats, with multiple channels surrounding the visitor. The latest immersive formats also make it faster to produce high quality audio content for these attractions.”
A recent VA highlight for PMC was the exhibition dedicated to conceptual artist and painter Michael Craig-Martin at the Royal Academy of Arts. PMC ci30 speakers were used as the height channels in the room that featured an immersive audio and light installation, which brought specific demands, notes Thomas: “The audio needed to be subtly hidden within the walls so as not to disturb the visuals. For me it brought his work to life in a new way. From an audio technical perspective, the speakers were our ci series, chosen so that they could be hidden in the walls while not compromising on the audio quality; the sound fills the entire space so confidently, using relatively small, and few, speakers.”
Heinz notes that immersive audio is only becoming “more important and widespread” for spaces like theme parks or 3D installations with recent advancements in active acoustics combined with immersive audio. He adds: “Under-the-hood technologies like digital beamforming can envelop an audience area in consistent, targeted sound, guaranteeing every audience member has the same audio experience no matter where they’re located, and even spaces with conventional audio design often benefit from features like compact form factor, custom colour options, or weatherproofing to help loudspeakers truly disappear into the space.”
Recent notable installations for Renkus-Heinz include the Minnesota Zoo treetop trail – where the UBX Series of passive column loudspeakers built around the new Passive UniBeam Technology – whilst tech-wise Heinz draws attention to the recently launched OmniBeam algorithm, designed to be a useful tool for sound designers: “Not only will OmniBeam simplify simulation during planning phases, it should also enable sound designers to target unique areas with minimal spill into adjacent areas with our beam-steered loudspeakers.”
Interestingly, some vendors have found that products originally geared towards other markets have become increasingly relevant to visitor attractions. Spatial and immersive audio specialist TiMax, perhaps best-known historically for its presence in the theatre market, is a case in point.
“Our history is based in the performing arts, but we’ve grown more into the experiential market – including visitor attractions – in the last decade,” confirms commercial director Dave Haydon. And although the markets inevitably have contrasting points of emphasis, “the thing that keeps coming up in discussions with consultants and integrators is a desire to think outside the box when it comes to sound. A lot of creative people are thinking about how they can use sound in different, more elaborate ways, and that includes [VAs]”.
For TiMax – which became part of Focusrite alongside sister company OutBoard in late 2023 – this increasing universality of requirements had translated to “making the user experience a little more intuitive, so that it is possible to get to first base quicker and more easily”, notes Haydon.
EXPERIENTIAL INSTALLATIONS
Supporting a smoother user experience across a variety of environments, including experiential installations, has also been a major focus for Sennheiser Group company Merging Technologies. Project & product manager Maurice Engler spoke to Installation just after the latest edition of ISE, where Merging launched the latest (version 11) iteration of the Ovation professional playout system, which offers a complex UI/UX overhaul, a revamped mixer with fully customisable configurations, optimised Merging VS3 plugins, and more.
“Our core reporting has always been in mastering studios, audio production and post-production, but since becoming part of the Sennheiser Group [in 2022] we have benefited from sales channels [with increased exposure to] theme parks and other visitor attractions,” says Engler, who goes on to indicate some of the reasons it has resonated with a marketplace where there can be many different approaches to audio: “It’s a playout system, a show synchroniser, so basically it contains audio in terms of media, but then you build up different cues, and this audio can be mono, all kinds of formats up to immersive multi-track and so on – and this is how it manages its media as a playout system. But then every cue can link to all kinds of events to be triggered or to trigger something else by all kinds of protocols – so there is a lot of versatility.”
While multi-channel immersive systems have become more commonplace, it’s important to note there are still plenty of instances where stereo makes more sense – for a variety of different reasons.
“There are definitely still many applications where great stereo audio remains preferable,” says Hook. “That could be down to coverage, audience location/size, the physical constraints of the space, or restricted speaker locations. Ultimately, it’s about using the right tool for the job, and spatial audio is an incredible new tool to support the right storytelling or experience creation.”
Thomas voices similar sentiments. “I’m sure there are stereo configurations that will work better, depending on the type of installation, for getting the right audio presentation across to the visitor than multiple channels. As ever it also comes down to the content, the way it is produced and the sound design that ultimately carries as much responsibility in the end result, rather than the complexity of the system that reproduces the sound.”
As much as the immersive audio experience may help drive individual attractions, there’s no doubt that they are often also a complement to intensely visual elements. With the rise of augmented reality and other technologies that support more personalised experiences in public spaces, that correlation will only become more acute. And so, logically enough, will the need for deeper integration between different parts of the AV infrastructure.
AUGMENTED REVOLUTION
Hook offers a tantalising insight into what’s coming down the track. “The augmented reality revolution is coming!” he declares. “Over the coming years we will see waves of new devices which enable personal, augmented experiences. The current form factor of devices doesn’t necessarily suit mass audience adoption in live experiences, but we still see large proportions of audiences holding their phones up during experiences to capture or share them. This will rapidly evolve as devices become more ubiquitous and organisations should consider the potential impact, and opportunity, for experiences. These technologies rely on real-time gaming engines and object-based workflows, so using those to bridge between digital canvases in the built environment (LED walls, audio reinforcement, etc) and content workflows will be crucial in building successful, integrated experiences where the technologies complement, and even enhance each other.”
Adds Thomas: “In the same way the success of VR is to not just show high-res imagery, but to bring you into that imagery, we have to be able to do the same with audio. The audio must follow user movements and adjust accordingly, and it must be reproduced ever more accurately and convincingly than ever before, to maintain the illusion.”
“With these types of visual technologies,” notes Heinz, “audio will still be incredibly important, but not from the traditional ‘loudspeaker/processor/amplifier-centric’ style that would be required for in-person style events. With AR and VR, the ability to accurately ‘aurilise’ spaces with correct acoustic modelling would allow users to enter spaces virtually and hear realistic soundscapes, and with creative room modelling and immersive audio-video content, experience creators could potentially provide experiences not possible in the real world.”
So as much as the last decade has been transformational for audio in visitor attractions, it’s now possible to see another brave new world looming into view.
