CLIENT
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
LOCATION
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
YEAR
2026
PROJECT TYPE
Live Event / Live Entertainment
Scope
Audio system design, audio control, show control and music editing
Services Provided
- →Audio system design
- →Immersive timing and localisation
- →Music editing
- →Show control programming
The Brief
Auditoria returned to The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for a fourth consecutive year as Sound Designers, supporting ‘A Call to Gather’, the 2026 production staged on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.
Working alongside the Tattoo’s creative, musical and production teams from the earliest stages of development, Auditoria designed the loudspeaker, audio control and show control systems, while also delivering music editing and technical support throughout pre-production, rehearsals and the live performances.
As with previous years, the objective was to reinforce the natural acoustic performance on the Esplanade while providing the scale and low-frequency extension required for the show’s contemporary musical moments, giving every audience member the same experience, regardless of where they were seated.
The Challenge
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo brings with it a unique audio design challenge. Hundreds of musicians move continuously throughout the performance, with formations constantly changing across the Esplanade. As those sound sources move, so does the relationship between the performers and every listener in the audience, making timing and localisation critical to preserving a natural listening experience.
For 2026, the introduction of an elevated stage orchestra in front of the Castle Gatehouse added another layer of complexity. While placing the orchestra in full view of the audience enhanced the visual presentation, it also required careful consideration of how the orchestra’s natural acoustic sound would interact with the reinforced system throughout the Esplanade.
Alongside these acoustic challenges, the system needed to work within the physical limitations of the historic venue, preserving sightlines, withstanding the Scottish weather and operating entirely from an indoor control room where the mix engineers rely on a carefully developed workflow with the sound designers and music team.
Our Approach
In our fourth year working with the Tattoo, we continued to refine both the technical systems and the collaborative workflow developed over previous productions.
Working closely with Creative Director Alan Lane, Musical Director Nick Grace and Composer and arranger Tom Hodge from the earliest planning stages allowed technical and creative decisions to develop together throughout the production, ensuring the audio design remained closely aligned with the show’s creative direction.
Music Editor Joe Callister supported both the extensive preparation period and the rehearsal process on site. His understanding of the score and close collaboration with the musical team helped maximise the limited rehearsal time available on the Esplanade.
The control systems also evolved for 2026. The Front of House console moved to a DiGiCo Quantum 852, providing the input capacity required for a production using more than 300 input channels. The show also marked our first large-scale deployment of the Sennheiser Spectera Wireless Multichannel Audio System (WMAS), supporting 128 wireless microphone channels and streamlining the RF infrastructure.
Ahead of rehearsals, we carried out an acoustic study of the new stage orchestra position to understand how its natural sound would behave across the venue. The findings informed the acoustic treatment within the orchestra enclosure and the addition of a low-height barrier to the front of the platform, helping control unwanted noise break out to allow the reinforced system to remain the dominant sound source throughout the audience.
Several refinements were also made to the loudspeaker system, including additional front-fill coverage following late changes to the accessible seating areas. Although a relatively small change from a seating perspective, the revised layout required further loudspeakers to maintain consistent coverage for every guest.
Technical Highlights:
Audio Design
DiGiCo Quantum 852 dual-engine console at Front of House (using 300+ input channels)
DiGiCo Quantum 7-T dual-engine console for monitors
Redundant AVB and Optocore signal distribution
128-channel Sennheiser Spectera WMAS (Wireless Multichannel Audio System)
Stage orchestra comprising more than 20 musicians
11 arrays of four L-Acoustics KIVA II (North and South Grandstands)
Three arrays of three KIVA II (East Grandstand)
24 L-Acoustics SB15m subwoofers
L-Acoustics A10 Wide corner fills
140 L-Acoustics 5XT front fills
Additional 5XT and SB10i systems for VIP areas
Left and right Gatehouse arrays using four L-Acoustics K2 loudspeakers per side
L-Acoustics Soundvision acoustic modelling
TiMax SoundHub processors for system control and localisation
The Results
The 2026 production brought together another month of performances on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade, supported by an audio system refined through four years of close collaboration with the Tattoo’s creative and production teams.
The combination of careful preparation, refined workflows and close collaboration between the creative, musical and technical teams allowed the production to make the most of its limited rehearsal period while delivering consistent, natural sound across every performance.
Four years into the partnership, each production continues to build on the last, with refinements driven by experience, collaboration and the creative ambitions of each new show.
Acknowledgements
Our Client
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
Creative & Production Partners
- Alan Lane – Creative Director – The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
- Nick Grace – Musical Director – The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
- Tom Hodge – Composer and Arranger – The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
- Laura Clark – Senior Producer The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
- Chris Davey – Lighting Designer
- Kate Dawkins Studio – Projection & Video Content Designers
Our Team
- Ethan Curry – Sound Designer
- Joe Callister – Associate & Music Editor
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
- Ben Milton – Front of House Mix Engineer
- Martin Dineley – Monitor Mix Engineer
Our Supplier
Solotech
- Robin Conway – Account Manager
- Jonny Buck – Onsite Head of Department
Special Thanks
- Ryan Burr – Sennheiser
- Marcus Blight – Sennheiser
Related Projects
