CLIENT
Artist in Motion
LOCATION
Luna Park, Sydney, Australia
YEAR
2023
PROJECT TYPE
Permanent Immersive Attraction
Scope
Immersive audio system design, show control integration and in-room mix delivery
Services Provided
- →Immersive loudspeaker system design
- →Spatial audio mixing and final asset delivery
- →Show control system integration
- →Audio routing and processing design
- →Synchronisation with projection and automation systems
- →On-site commissioning and tuning
The Brief
Dream Circus at Luna Park Sydney transformed a former live music venue into a fully immersive projection environment. The space was stripped back and reimagined as a 360-degree performance world, with projection surfaces surrounding the audience and scenes shifting between the spectacle of the circus ring and the world behind the curtain.
Artist in Motion engaged Auditoria to design the immersive audio and show control systems for the attraction. With projection covering every surface, the sound needed to travel with the story, shifting with the visuals while holding the room together as a single experience. When Dream Circus opened in 2023, it became Sydney’s first permanent immersive installation of its kind.
The Challenge
An immersive installation like this inevitably increases the technical demands. The channel count is high, routing is more complex, and coordination between departments needs to be carefully managed.
On this project, Auditoria’s role went beyond system design. The team mixed the final show in the room, working directly within the spatial engine to ensure the soundtrack translated properly in the space itself. This meant balancing creative decisions with technical deployment in real time.
The project also required integrated show control. Moving LED screens and roller shutters needed to track precisely with the soundtrack and projection. While automation programming sat elsewhere, Auditoria’s system issued the timing commands to keep everything aligned.
Our Approach
The immersive loudspeaker layout was designed using L-Acoustics systems, with L-ISA serving as the spatial engine. Pro Tools was integrated for mixing and content preparation, allowing the show to be shaped directly within the room.
Daily playback is handled via QLab, while a Q-SYS Core 110f manages routing and processing. Medialon Showmaster Pro provides the main show control platform, interfacing with lighting and automation systems to fire cues aligned to both visual and audio events.
A central automation server manages automated moving elements within the space. Auditoria’s control system communicates with this server, issuing commands at precisely defined moments to ensure moving elements track correctly with the soundtrack and projection.
The system was designed not only for the opening production but for long-term flexibility. Since the launch, the loudspeaker infrastructure has remained in place and has been repurposed for subsequent shows within the same venue.
Technical Highlights:
Audio Design
L-Acoustics loudspeakers and amplification
L-ISA immersive processing integrated with Pro Tools
In-room spatial mix delivery by Auditoria
Show Control Design
Medialon Showmaster Pro
Cue integration with lighting and automation systems
Timed control of LED screens and roller shutters
Q-SYS Core 110f for routing and DSP
QLab for daily show playback
Integrated synchronisation between projection, sound and automation
The Results
Dream Circus opened as Sydney’s first permanent immersive attraction of its kind, supported by an audio and control system designed specifically for the space.
The mix allows the soundtrack to move with the visuals, shifting between circus scenes and backstage moments in step with the projection. Integrated show control keeps the moving elements aligned with the sound throughout the performance.
The loudspeaker system remains in place and continues to support new productions in the venue, demonstrating the value of designing the infrastructure properly from the outset.
Acknowledgements
Our Client
Artist in Motion
Our Team
Scott Willsallen – Audio Design
Luis Miranda – System Implementation and On-Site Programmer
Joe Calister – Show Control Design
Steve Logan – Spatial Audio Mix
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