1. Total Sonic Immersion through Wavefield Synthesis
IOSONO
Total Sonic Immersion through Wavefield Synthesis

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. Wavefield Synthesis Basics (continued)

7. 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.

8. 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

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

10. 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 Lake Constance
Verdi’s Il Trovatore
Spatially Mixed for 820 speakers
Rendering Unit supports 8192 Channels

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. IOSONO - MIXING (continued)

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

16. WFS and IOSONO - References
IOSONO Home Page
Wavefield Synthesis - White Papers
Research_projects/WFS_IEEE_99.pdf
LAWO AG - Makers of LAWO HD Core DSP and the mc²66 mixing desk