CLIENT
RAMUS
LOCATION
Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia
YEAR
2023
PROJECT TYPE
Permanent Outdoor Immersive Installation
Scope
Immersive audio system design and control for large-scale drone and storytelling experience
Services Provided
- →Immersive loudspeaker system design
- →Spatial audio programming and integration
- →Audio routing and processing design
- →Show playback system design
- →Environmental specification and commissioning
The Brief
Wintjiri Wiru is an outdoor drone and light show set in the desert near Uluru in the Northern Territory. Developed with the local Anangu community, it shares stories from the region through choreography, light and music.
Guests are taken to a remote viewing area for dinner before the show begins at dusk. It now runs regularly as part of the visitor experience in the area.
RAMUS engaged Auditoria to design the immersive audio system for the site, supporting the storytelling and respecting both the landscape and the cultural context.
The Challenge
The setting is extraordinary, but it brings practical constraints. The site is remote, exposed and subject to extreme heat. All equipment is permanently installed and remains outdoors.
Loudspeakers needed to withstand desert conditions while remaining visually unobtrusive from the audience area. There are no conventional structures to mount from, so placement required careful planning.
In addition, the audio system had to sit comfortably alongside the large-scale drone choreography, ensuring that music and narrative worked seamlessly with the aerial visuals.
Our Approach
Auditoria developed a distributed immersive system positioned around the audience viewing area, designed to deliver spatial movement without drawing attention to the technology.
JBL AWC series loudspeakers were specified for their environmental durability. Each unit was positioned discreetly and finished to blend into the surroundings. A local artist hand-painted the enclosures to further camouflage them within the landscape.
SPAT by Flux was used as the spatial engine, integrated with Reaper during the programming period. Daily playback is by the RAMUS CORE, while a Q-SYS Core Nano provides routing and processing throughout the system.
Given the desert climate, operational considerations extended beyond the show itself. Protective measures are used outside performance hours to shield equipment from extreme daytime temperatures.
Technical Highlights:
Audio Design
SPAT by Flux as immersive spatial engine, integrated with Reaper
JBL AWC series loudspeakers specified for long-term outdoor exposure
Show Control Design
Q-SYS Core Nano for routing and processing
Integration with RAMUS CORE for daily playback
The Results
Wintjiri Wiru now runs regularly as part of the visitor programme near Uluru.
The loudspeakers are largely out of sight, and the installation continues to operate reliably in a harsh desert environment. The entire audio system works very effectively with the drones and lighting.
Built as a permanent system from the start, it supports a show that runs night after night.
Acknowledgements
Our Client
RAMUS
Our Team
Luis Miranda – Audio Design and System Integration
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