Total Sonic Immersion through Wavefield Synthesis IOSONO Total Sonic Immersion through Wavefield Synthesis

IOSONO - WHAT IS IT? A relatively new innovation in surround sound from our friends at the Fraunhofer Institut. Based on The Principle of Wavefield Synthesis Capable of providing total sonic immersion to audiences within an Iosono - equipped space Superior to conventional (Dolby, DTS) surround systems - NO SWEET SPOT Developed in the late 1990’s/ Early 2000’s First commercial installation at

Wavefield Synthesis History First suggested by A.J. Berkhout in 1988, and developed in the 1990’s at the Technical University of Delft, Netherlands in the 1990’s Grew from experiments in sonic exploration for petroleum reserves

Wavefield Synthesis Basics Generation or reproduction of sound fields with natural temporal and spatial characteristics within a volume or area bounded by arrays of loudspeakers Directivity (spatial) interference pattern generated by two loudspeakers Pattern generated by an array of loudspeakers

Wavefield Synthesis Basics (continued) Based upon the Huygens principle The propagation of waves through a medium can be qualitatively described by adding the contributions of all secondary sources positioned along a wave front Therefore If it is possible to determine the pressure and particle velocity of a wave field on a secondary surface of a closed volume, then it would be possible to determine the sound pressure at any point within that volume.

Wavefield Synthesis Basics (continued)

WFS and IOSONO By employing sophisticated signal processing and a ring of speaker arrays, it is possible to recreate correct localization and spatial impression within the area bounded by the arrays.

WFS and IOSONO (continued) In playback, Rendering Unit controls individual speakers in the arrays Speaker arrays, spaced at 15 cm intervals, operate in a coordinated fashion to re-create each individual sound. Rendering Unit

WFS and IOSONO (continued) Speaker panels are configured in a ring Each panel contains 8 2-way speakers

IOSONO - Installations Currently installed in a cinema in Ilmenau, Germany Currently no movies have been mixed for Iosono, but it can playback Dolby surround Trailer to demonstrate the capability of the system Bregenz Festival Summer 2005 - Lake Constance Verdi’s Il Trovatore Spatially Mixed for 820 speakers Rendering Unit supports 8192 Channels

Now Installed in Hollywood! Mann's Chinese 6 Theater in Hollywood unveiled the first installation of the system in a 3-D-ready commercial theater (it also houses a digital cinema projector and RealD 3-D system). The 3-D sound system at the Mann is a ring of 380 speakers, set six inches apart, around the wall of the auditorium. Anime clip “Freedom” mixed specifically for IOSONO First Feature Length Film Expected in 2009

IOSONO @ Tresor - Berlin More than 200 independent audio channels for Wave Field Synthesis rendering, combined with touch screen controlled real-time interface for live-Djing Workshops for DJs, live acts, electronic artists and producers Individual appointments available

IOSONO - MIXING IOSONO Spatial Audio Workstation Allows the audio engineer to mix sound by mapping the sources to the desired location in the room Uses standard audio files, from Pro-Tools or other programs Sounds are mixed into sound scenes - up to 64 simultaneous scenes Based on the LAWO mc²66 mixing desk

IOSONO - MIXING (continued)

IOSONO - Future Applications Cinema Themed Environments Live Events Nightclubs Home Theatre (BUT, installation is expensive and can be impractical, especially in the home)

WFS and IOSONO - References IOSONO Home Page http://www.iosono-sound.com/ Wavefield Synthesis - White Papers www.soundcontrol.tudelft.nl/ Research_projects/WFS_IEEE_99.pdf www.irt.de/wittek/hauptmikrofon/theile/Theile_DAFX.PDF LAWO AG - Makers of LAWO HD Core DSP and the mc²66 mixing desk http://www.lawo.de