EM Acoustics provides an immersive experience at Legoland Windsor Resort
The Clubhouse Bar entertainment space & Restaurant at Woodland Village presents an original soundscape thanks to a soundtrack and design by DS Audio with optimal audio quality provided by the speakers and amplifiers EM Acoustics and total integration with its ecosystem Q-SYS existing.
Opened this spring, Woodland Village It is a hosting site Legoland Windsor Resort, a woodland retreat that also includes a space for entertaining, Clubhouse restaurant and bar. This required the integration of a immersive audio system by zones to improve the guest experience.
David Shepherd de DS Audio, who had previously worked in other areas of Legoland Windsor Resort, has been in charge of the sound design of the project. Has collaborated with the internal technical team and integrators, JPSL, to design and install a complete system EM Acoustics and provide immersive background audio and reinforcement for stage performances.
“The Clubhouse needed an intelligible and zoned sound system, as well as an entertainment system to support a small stage that is located next to the restaurant and bar”, explica Shepherd. “They wanted to bring the ‘forest feeling’ inside, so we used sound design to produce a soundscape that could reproduce different bird and wildlife sounds in a realistic and immersive way. It should also be able to switch to a performance system so that the audience could enjoy the entertainment on stage, so versatility was key”.
Shepherd is familiar with EM Acoustics, as he has worked with their products for several years and praises the quality and clarity of their speakers.
One of the key requirements for the park was that the system be integrated into the infrastructure Q-SYS of the entire complex (offered by the EM Acoustics range of amplifiers), while the Legoland team was already confident in their speakers as they had been used in several installations within the complex in previous years.
“Woodland Village was a project different from others, since we were not only looking for simple mono or stereo reproduction, but an immersive soundscape that will transport guests to the right environment”, afirma Mark Boyce, innovation manager at Legoland Windsor Resort.
The Clubhouse space was divided into four audio zones for its design. To the area 1 comprises the bar and open entertainment area; while the other three are defined to facilitate effective surround sound and allow management to extend or reduce background audio during presentations, depending on audience size and preferences.
in the area 1, the small stage is equipped with a pair of altavoces EMS-81X and a subwoofer S-48 . The sound amplification system for monitoring is carried out through a single EMS-61, while one mixing console of Allen & Heath y handheld and headset microphones Sennheiser EWDx provide a complete set of tools to host a variety of performances.
The rest of the areas (of the 2 to the 4) are installed with a total of 48 speakers EMS-41 to facilitate the immersive system, with bass reinforcement via three S-48 subwoofers . Four DiQ10D amplifiers from EM Acoustics complete the system, with each speaker on its own channel to allow the independent control needed in an immersive installation.
“All the speakers are hidden behind the vegetation on the ceiling”, explica Shepherd. "Of course, this has benefits to the overall audience experience and helps create a sense of surprise, but it can be difficult to find products that still offer clarity when installed this way. The EMS-41 format allows us to maintain that clarity of sound”.
To create an immersive environment, with a wide variety of bird songs and forest nature sounds, Shepherd created more than a dozen audio tracks of varying lengths and contents in mono and multichannel formats. Each track has its own individual speaker path that travels through space.
This logic was then installed in the Q-SYS system, where 16 Audio playback channels repeat in sections throughout the day for an immersive experience that sounds natural and random.
“Woodland Village audio setup works great, “Perfectly combining the sounds from inside the restaurant with the natural environment outside.”, confirma Nigel Woods, director creativo de Legoland Hotels. “Strategic speaker placement and carefully selected audio tracks create an immersive experience for our guests.”, making them feel surrounded by the sounds of birds and forest creatures.”.
As visitors pass through the space, the sounds of nature seem to move with them, creating a very special experience, above all, for the younger clientele. The ability of EM Acoustics speakers to reproduce sounds accurately and naturally has been key to the success of the project.
“EM Acoustics products are fantastic for creating immersive environments”, confirma Shepherd. “When you are looking for a sound that is as natural as possible, like when a British forest reproduces, The precision of the speakers has to be impeccable”. Incorporating an acoustic treatment in the ceiling also helps minimize reverberation, resulting in a perfectly dry and realistic soundscape.
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