Sphere Entertainment has unveiled Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HoloPlot, which the company says is the world’s most advanced audio system. According to the company, HoloPlot provides individualized sound to every seat in Sphere, scheduled to open in Las Vegas this fall.
U2’s The Edge said, “The beauty of Sphere is not only the ground-breaking technology that will make it so unique, with the world’s most advanced audio system integrated into a structure which is designed with sound quality as a priority; it’s also the possibilities around immersive experiences in real and imaginary landscapes. In short, it’s a canvas of an unparalleled scale and image resolution, and a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We all thought about it and decided we’d be mad not to accept the invitation.”
“Sphere Immersive Sound is a cornerstone of the custom-designed technology that will make Sphere unlike any venue, anywhere in the world, providing audio with unmatched clarity and precision to every guest, no matter where they are seated,” said David Dibble, CEO, MSG Ventures, a division of Sphere Entertainment. “Creating this experience required us to go far beyond existing audio technology, and in HoloPlot we found a partner at the forefront of innovation to help achieve our vision and truly transform what is possible with audio.”
“From the beginning, HoloPlot has been focused on radically transforming audio technology, rethinking the underlying physics of sound reproduction as we know it,” said Roman Sick, CEO, HoloPlot. “Working alongside Sphere Studios on Sphere Immersive Sound has been a truly thrilling opportunity for our team – challenging us to extend the boundaries of our technology at an unparalleled scale and create a revolutionary listening experience.”
Sphere Immersive Sound is the world’s largest concert-grade audio system and was specifically developed for Sphere’s unique curved interior. The system consists of approximately 1,600 permanently installed and 300 mobile HoloPlot X1 Matrix Array loudspeaker modules and includes a total of 167,000 individually amplified loudspeaker drivers.
The entire sound system is completely hidden behind Sphere’s 160,000 square foot interior LED display plane. Any audio transmission losses are fully compensated for by HoloPlot’s algorithms in the optimization engine, resulting in clear, full-range sound with virtually no coloration and a completely unobstructed visual LED surface – which wraps up, over and around the audience and combines with Sphere Immersive Sound to create a fully immersive environment.
Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HoloPlot, was first introduced last summer at the Beacon Theatre in New York ahead of being further customized and scaled for Sphere – which leverages the full capabilities of the cutting-edge technology. The introduction of this audio innovation at The Beacon brought a nearly 100-year-old venue into the next generation, setting a new standard for sound quality in performance venues. Since its debut at the Beacon Theatre, Sphere Immersive Sound has offered artists and audiences a glimpse of what the system is capable of delivering, before Sphere opens this fall.
Sphere will open its doors on September 29 with the first of U2’s 25 performances of U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere.
The Darren Aronofsky-directed Sphere Experience, Postcard from Earth, will debut on October 6. Tickets are currently on sale at thespherevegas.com.