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Immersive Audio System Octet Connect_Series

Immersive Audio: A Loop Hole for Socially Distanced Performances

Immersive Audio: A Loop Hole for Socially Distanced Performances

We all know the struggles that the current pandemic has placed upon almost every industry around the globe. But this isn’t a story about struggles, this is a story about community, innovation, determination, and a passion for music and the arts.

This is a story about Octet, an immersive performance experience that was created through a collaborative effort in South Bend, IN (our hometown!). The idea behind Octet came about as the South Bend Symphony Orchestra needed to re-think its performances after the pandemic forced a number of cancellations. 

With a little help from several local organizations and sound reinforcement provided by our very own CONNECTSERIES amps, a new immersive audio experience was created and showcased for everyone in South Bend to experience the local symphony orchestra in a completely new way.

Let’s dive in and take a closer look!

The Spec:

Immersive Audio: A Loop Hole for Socially Distanced Performances

Venue: Portable

Install Purpose: Sound reinforcement for immersive orchestral experience

Product Used: CONNECTSERIES CS88 

Total Wattage: 640 Watts

The Project

Immersive Audio: A Loop Hole for Socially Distanced Performances
immersive audio octet

Octet, is an immersive installation that is sensitive to COVID-19 restrictions with no member of the orchestra in the room. Instead of performing live, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra pre-recorded all instruments individually and the recordings were then mixed and the music delivered through hi-quality speakers in a gallery, amplified by LEA Professional IoT enabled solutions. While an individual standing in the center of the installation will hear the instruments in a perfectly balanced surround-sound, there’s also the option to move closer to any individual speaker and virtually isolate the individual part played by any of the musicians.

“It was very important for us to not only give something back to our community — which was starved of live performance for the last few months — but also to invigorate our musicians,” said Halle McGuire, Director of Development Programs, South Bend Symphony Orchestra. “We knew that everyone was combating a level of Zoom fatigue and we needed to think outside of the box as to how we could safely produce performances.”

IMMERSIVE AUDIO
IMMERSIVE AUDIO

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

Immersive Audio: A Loop Hole for Socially Distanced Performances

The project, which was executed and installed in collaboration with Eric Friedlander, Owner at Tower 21, is a unique collaboration between local players. The South Bend Symphony Orchestra and Riverlights Music Festival united together to produce Octet with production and installation assistance from South Bend Civic Theater and the South Bend Museum of Art.

“With the positive feedback from this project, we have begun conversations with all of the players involved, including LEA Professional, as to how we can utilize this installation approach in the future,” said Friedlander. “The system is entirely portable and scalable, from educational facilities to outdoor spaces, we are excited to explore the endless possibilities the solution brings us.”

The collaboration of so many local organizations is a testament to the strength of the audio community in South Bend, a city widely known for its roots in audio innovation.

Immersive Audio: A Loop Hole for Socially Distanced Performances

The Conclusion

Immersive Audio: A Loop Hole for Socially Distanced Performances

Getting involved in this project was a no-brainer for us. We love our city and right now is the best time for everyone to come together (figuratively) and start to find new solutions that will overcome the challenges we’re facing. People need to feel something positive again and get inspired. That’s one of the beautiful things about audio gear, we have a responsibility to create a product that will be a piece of a much larger puzzle, that when completed, has the ability to inspire people.

If you have any question or feedback about using our CONNECTSERIES amps in install projects like this one or any other projects, feel free to fill out the form below or reach out to us on our social media channels.

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