Meyer Sound recently hosted two days of spatial sound demos in New York City at Jazz at Lincoln Center in the Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Studio (VLS). The hourly demos provided the opportunity for smaller groups of audio professionals to experience the emerging technologies.
Steve Ellison, director, spatial sound for the company, presented demonstrations incorporating Meyer Sound’s Constellation active acoustic system, D-Mitri with SpaceMap technology, CueStation, and new UP-4slim compact installation loudspeakers.
“In our daily lives we hear sound in three dimensions,” Ellison explains. “Our sonic environment includes sources perceived as originating in particular locations, or coming from many directions, and often moving dynamically through space. Today, acousticians, AV systems designers, sound designers, composers, and researchers rely on electroacoustic technologies to create engineered sonic experiences that effectively emulate natural characteristics or, alternatively, create new sonic environments never heard in the natural world. Meyer Sound provides a full suite of tools for creating a universe of compelling spatial sound experiences.”
Also as part of the demos, Ellison’s long-time friend and colleague, musician Eric Dahlman, performed on multiple brass instruments that included electronically augmented flugelhorn and trumpet to showcase SpaceMap and Constellation. The dynamic live controls of spatial location, diffusion, and acoustics helped transform the room into an instrument in and of itself that amplified the immersive nature of Dahlman’s improvisations.
“Beyond fixed cinema formats, sound designers for theatrical and live spectacle shows create sound experiences designed to support the action on stage with site-specific installations,” Ellison notes. “At major universities, multi-channel audio installations simulate both the sound and acoustics of specific locations for auditory and VR research. And musicians seek new ways to create compelling concert or installation experiences. Our technologies support all these applications of spatial sound.”
