L-ISA utilises the industry leading L-Acoustics loudspeaker product range that appears on riders and in venues the world over. Adding into the mix a combination of the L-ISA processor and intelligent system design, the result is that the entire audience hear their favourite band, orchestra or performer with the dimension, depth, resolution and clarity that can’t be found with the designs of the past.
Quite simply, what you hear is what you see. You don’t have to take our word for it; even though we’ve won awards for using it on world class events, it has been used on over 1,500 shows, tours and events to 5 million audience members since 2016.
Historically engineers have mixed onstage performers through offstage systems, with the result being that hangs of PA either side of the stage misrepresent the direction from where the sound is originating, disconnecting the audience from the live experience. Whilst that might sound drastic, hearing a show with this corrected by L-ISA gives you an entirely different experience.
Furthermore, most stereo systems allow only a small percentage of the audience to hear the stereo mix as intended. In fact, there are normally only a limited number of sweet spots within a venue where the audience member will hear “true stereo” from both hangs simultaneously. Much of the space, up to 80% in some designs, will have either weak stereo imaging or be covered by only one of the two hangs, effectively making that area mono. Whilst the mix will undoubtedly sound good at the FOH console, the audience can be a lottery in terms of the quality of the mix that they hear based on where they are situated.
The core component of an L-ISA design is to have a number of loudspeaker positions spaced evenly above – and optionally beyond – the full width of the stage, creating a canvas on which to paint a representation of the performance below. Each audio source onstage is lined up using the L-ISA processor into a loudspeaker hang relative to it’s real world location, authentically replicating the performance below. Each individual speaker hang in the system is placed to cover the audience area so that regardless of where they are a listener stands they will hear directionally correct audio from multiple loudspeaker positions.
Along with live music, L-ISA can also be deployed as an installation to create an immersive and enveloping listening experience for corporate events and spaces, even in situations with no real stage to speak of. Creative content becomes more powerful as it surrounds the audience and draws them further into the experience. Even simple speech events benefit from L-ISA, with the technology able to track a presenter as they move across stage, heightening audience engagement.
The controlling software allows the sound engineer to create a graphical representation of the performance area and loudspeaker locations, and within minutes they can authentically replicate any performer or ensemble onstage and create a mix that is not only visually and tonally correct, but has depth, dimension and resolution. With variables such as height, width and distance, any microphone or audio source can be placed in the sound field for either a naturalistic representation of it’s real life position, or moved to an intentionally artificial location for a drastic effect. With this approach, there is the added benefit of increased clarity in the room, as different speaker hangs are more efficiently processing different parts of the mix; something that is unmatched in a stereo approach.
Additional speaker positions around the room or even above the audience can offer even more creative tools to the engineer and artist alike. Whether using immersive surround sound content, or replicating naturalistic room reverb reflections, the expansion of creativity offered by extra positions around the listener is powerful.
As a sign of our belief in this new technology, DeltaLive has invested in a residential L-ISA studio at our headquarters in Hampton Court. This affords engineers a base for programming, artists a space for creative experimentation or interested parties a chance to experience and learn about the capabilities of this new technology. L-ISA brings innumerable benefits, from orchestral performances to key note speeches or breathtaking immersive installations. We have the perfect space for you to hear for yourself.
In 2018 the world’s largest classical music festival adopted L-ISA to cover its musically rich and diverse program.
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Deltalive delivered a 360 degree L-ISA design to the Polygon Live immersive stage at Thailand’s dance music festival at the end of 2018.
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To celebrate the end of their 2018 world tour, indie rockers alt-J performed two sold out shows at the Royal Albert Hall using an L-ISA system, with the aim of enhancing their already sonically complex performances.
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Find out more about L-ISA and the manufacturer L-Acoustics
