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D&B SOUNDSCAPE: CHANGING AUDIENCE EXPECTATIONS d&b audiotechnik’s Mike Case and Jack Page are on a mission to introduce artists and engineers to the possibilities of touring with an immersive audio system. After collaborations with Twilight Sad and Groove Armada, TPi catches up with the team to talk all things Soundscape.
Words: Stew Hume Photos: Lanty @lantyzhang and A State of Mind
“When Leo Fender built his first guitar, it’s not as if they had Jimmy Hendrix in mind – he had no idea how musicians would use his creations,” mused Michael Case, VP Artist Relations for d&b audiotechnik. “You could say the same about Soundscape. We’re still at the beginning of its journey and have no idea how people may end up using it in the future.” For the uninitiated, Soundscape is the immersive offering from audio solutions provider, d&b audiotechnik. Using the principles of object based mixing, the system is an alternative to the traditional left and right stereo system. It opens up a plethora of creative possibilities for both the engineer and artist to reinforce their sound, including the extension of the 360 surround dimension. We’ve already featured several Soundscape performances in TPi, from Björk to the Nevill Holt Opera, and with the reopening of venues last year, the team behind Soundscape is keen to reintroduce artists and engineers to the concept of immersive audio and show that it is a viable option for tours. OPEN HOUSE For a week in September 2021, d&b took over Brixton Academy for a run of demos showing off what could be achieved in the venue with Soundscape. With Brixton’s reputation of being a challenging venue from an audio standpoint, the idea was that producing a good immersive demo would showcase the power of Soundscape. “Using Brixton also became a study of how quickly we could load into a venue of that size,” stated Case. “For many people who came to those demos, that was a pivotal point, convincing production managers of the tourability of the solutions.” As well as inviting technical crew to the open days, it was key for d&b to have musicians in the
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