CULTVR Points to the Future with d&b Soundscape

	CULTVR's Theatre Dome auditorium offers a high-end, immersive AV infrastructure beneath a 12m concave projection surface.

The new 360 degree d&b Soundscape system in CULTVR's Theatre Dome, specified and installed by d&b partner Southby Productions, marks a significant step forward for the organization. Since opening in 2019 as the UK's first immersive arts center and Europe's first "cross-disciplinary Lab", CULTVR has positioned Cardiff as a key destination for XR (Extended Reality) and the immersive possibilities of live performance. By harnessing the power of the latest technologies, CULTVR strives to redefine how audiences experience sound and visuals -- and the d&b Soundscape system has become a key element of its toolkit, the company says.

CULTVR's aim with this sound system upgrade was to elevate the audio capability to the same level.

Leading d&b Soundscape integrator Southby Productions first worked with CULTVR in 2023 when they, with d&b audiotechnik, supported an immersive show for Welsh band, Das Koolies, using d&b Soundscape. "We had an amazing time working with the team at CULTVR," says Southby's head of immersive, Aaron Holloway-Nahum, "and we knew it would benefit tremendously from a more permanent Soundscape solution to its audio."

CULTVR's Theatre Dome auditorium offers a high-end, immersive AV infrastructure beneath a 12m concave projection surface. As well as presenting shows and experiences, the Dome is also a key part of CULTVR's ongoing R&D into immersive arts. The introduction of a 360 degree d&b Soundscape system is a major boost, delivering aural possibilities to match the enveloping visuals, and new vistas for creative presentation.

Designed by Holloway-Nahum, the Soundscape system uses a ring of 16 d&b 5S compact point source loudspeakers, driven by 5D amplifiers. The powerful DS100 signal processor provides the level and delay settings to each speaker necessary to create Soundscape's signature naturalistic and 'true' sound. In addition, four E15X-SUB compact subwoofers are available to be used flexibly, either as part of the Soundscape system, or as a conventional sub array for CULTVR's more traditional performance-based events.

The design was not straightforward, as Holloway-Nahum explains. "The biggest difficulty was that the dome reaches quite low down, so we had to be careful not to place speakers in positions that blocked -- or cast shadows from -- the projectors."

Another obstacle was that the dome is too thick for speakers to be placed behind it. As a result, the "ring" had to be set relatively low, at just 2.55m -- presenting challenges in covering each audience member with more than one speaker.

"To address this," says Holloway-Nahum, "we made a change to the initial system design, from the E8 -- which has 90° rotatable dispersion -- to the 5S, with its 100° conical dispersion. We also worked with the team there to achieve every last centimeter of height that we could!"

Matt Wright, artistic director of CULTVR, says, "At CULTVR, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of what the venue of the future can be like. With the d&b Soundscape system, visitors can step inside the sound itself, experiencing music not just as something they hear, but something they feel and inhabit. It's a game-changer for live performance and immersive sonic experiences here in Wales."

Aaron Holloway-Nahum concludes, "This is a spectacular venue for anyone who wants to experience how top-quality spatial audio can come together with stunning visuals to create a truly immersive experience. We're thrilled to see, support and work with partners like CULTVR who recognize just how much value top-quality audio adds to the experience."