CLIENT
LarMac Projects
LOCATION
Mangrove National Park, Abu Dhabi, UAE
YEAR
2020
PROJECT TYPE
National Ceremony – Live Event
Scope
Immersive sound system design for a large-scale outdoor ceremony
Services Provided
- →Spatial audio design
- →System specification and layout
- →Acoustic strategy for open water environment
- →Show control and integration
- →On-site and remote technical support
The Brief
Set within the tranquil surroundings of Abu Dhabi’s Mangrove National Park, the 49th UAE National Day Ceremony was an immersive celebration of the country’s heritage and future. Created by Es Devlin and produced by LarMac Projects, the event was staged on a purpose-built platform over natural water, with an audience arranged around a central floating cube structure.
We were brought in to design an immersive audio experience that could work harmoniously with the show’s bold visual narrative and complex staging, while ensuring clarity of speech, impact of music, and the sense of being enveloped in sound.
The Challenge
This was no typical outdoor event. The venue was a natural body of water surrounded by protected mangroves, which introduced a host of acoustic and logistical complexities.
From an audio perspective, reflections from the water, lack of reflective boundaries, and open-air staging meant that typical approaches to PA placement, delay, and reinforcement weren’t suitable. Every guest required an intimate and focused listening experience, without sacrificing the scale and emotional weight of the music and effects.
Operationally, the system had to be flexible enough to respond to evolving creative ideas while maintaining pinpoint control across hundreds of inputs and outputs.
Our Approach
We approached the project by designing a fully immersive 34.1 loudspeaker system using over 300 loudspeakers, structured to support spatial audio throughout the entire performance space. The system was broken into four distinct zones, each with its own function and role in the sound field:
- Cube Arrays: Originally conceived as five K2 arrays surrounding the central 15-metre cube structure, we reduced these to two arrays to enhance the view of the spectacular cube structure.
- Panorama Arrays: Eight K2 arrays flanked the performance zone, supported by a powerful sub-bass system comprising 18 SB28 subs, creating a broad, cinematic soundstage.
- Surround Arrays: Behind and beside the audience, we positioned two arrays of nine KARA and eleven SYVA loudspeakers to enhance spatial and transition effects.
- Overhead Layer: 11 L-Acoustics X8 loudspeakers were suspended from lighting towers, adding vertical movement and a sense of depth above the audience.
To ensure every guest heard speech clearly, we installed 180 L-Acoustics 5XT loudspeakers, one per person, in a distributed mono configuration. This enabled us to deliver dialogue and narration directly, without compromising the mix or dynamics of the accompanying music.
Technical Highlights:
Audio Design
Immersive Audio Control
We used a mirrored pair of DiGiCo SD7 consoles, each connected to its own L-ISA Processor via MADI. This gave us a total of 96 MADI inputs and 36 discrete loudspeaker outputs, allowing for high-resolution spatial placement of mono stems, solo instruments and sound effects.
Signal Distribution
Input racks and network distribution were handled via DiGiCo SD Racks and Optocore devices, feeding signals out to the LA-Racks that drove the speaker arrays around the venue.
Show Control Design
Show Playback
Audio playback was operated by Steve Logan using a dual-redundant Ovation system by Merging Technologies. The systems featured 128 channels via Horus interfaces and Ovation-specific keyboards for control, ensuring both reliability and creative flexibility.
The Results
The result was a powerful and engaging sound environment that immersed the audience from every angle. Despite the complexities of an open-air, water-based site, the show delivered a rich and clear audio experience, balancing storytelling, music, and narration without compromise.
Every guest enjoyed a highly personal experience, with dialogue delivered directly to their position, while the panoramic soundscape unfolded smoothly and naturally around them. The integration of the overhead and surround systems helped bridge the natural landscape with the content of the show, creating an emotional connection that felt expansive yet intimate.
The success of the event set a new benchmark for immersive audio at national celebrations, and it remains one of the most technically ambitious spatial audio systems we’ve deployed to date.
Acknowledgements
Our Client
A huge thanks to Es Devlin and her design team, Jo Mackay and the whole team at LarMac for involving us in this project. Congratulations on delivering a really amazing project that was a joy to deliver.
Our Team
The Audio system was designed by Scott Willsallen. Our team also included Richard Sharratt on FOH, Simon Sayer and Edoardo Michalori on replay and remote support from Justin Arthur, Luis Miranda and Steve Logan.
Our Supplier
Thanks to Andy Jackson and his team from PRG Deltasound for supplying, installing and maintaining the system for us. Thanks to Toby Chester and Martin Dineley for their efforts in managing the PRG audio team.
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