d&b Soundscape: Digital Art enabler.
The Jam Project run by French scenography and design company Athem has created a 360-degree projection chamber on a scale never seen before. The fabric cuboid structure called The Jam Capsule measures 40 metres in length, 25 metres in width and a staggering 12 metres in height and provides a unique new format for artists and authors wishing to present their digital works.
To truly create an immersive experience spatialised audio was crucial in accompanying the visuals. Co-producers of the project and long-standing d&b installation and rental partner VIDELIO-Events provided the technical element for the project including creating the sound design and putting the necessary infrastructure in place. Production company La 8 Note was called in to support them with their expert knowledge of the d&b Soundscape.
The art on display in the Jam Capsule was created for the project around the theme of environment. The five exhibitions brought to life works on subjects including: Japan, the Paris Opera and the masterpieces of Flemish painters. The audio requirement to bring the works to life were as varied as the subjects portrayed.
CEO Associate and Founder of La 8Note, John Moine de Russy explains more about the ambitious nature of the project: “In one work the audience was to be immersed in the sea. We achieved this illusion by point-to-point matrixing of the sound of water in multiple speakers, while moving other sound objects, such as dolphins ‘swimming around’ the audience and the sound of a boat engine above them, to other sources.”
To permit each artist to familiarise themselves with the Soundscape technology and try out its capabilities VIDEOLIO-Events built a Soundscape system at their offices.
“We built a miniature capsule at our premises in Gennevilliers to allow the artists to view and listen to their content in realistic condition, with the d&b Soundscape, which is what gives this project its originality. With the support of La 8Note we were able to get all the necessary audio coding done at our HQ” says Guillaume Durieux, President at VIDELO-Events.
Quentin Vernier-Palliez, CEO Associate and Founder of La 8Note adds “We directly worked with each artist to achieve their vision and spent time in pre-production trying things and making sure they are happy.”
The DS100 is the signal processing engine that sits at the heart of the d&b Soundscape technology. The setup enhances creative ability and lets the user decide on the desired aural alignment; It can be realistic or imaginative, making it ideal for artistic productions such as The Jam Capsule. The system set up for this project comprised four A-Series speakers and two V-SUBs arranged in a centre cluster, E5s used as front fills in a lower ring, T10s fixed on an upper ring as well as B4-SUBs.
The Jam Capsule has generated enthusiastic feedback and, although restricted by strict Covid19 measures, the event was a major success.