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Friday, February 26, 2021
Historic Cathedral Acoustically Replicated In Auditorium In Spain With d&b Soundscape
ProSoundWeb: The Almería (Spain) City Orchestra’s annual Christmas concert late last year needed to be presented in a different venue than usual due to the pandemic, with d&b Soundscape employed to help create the appropriate sonic environment for the production.
It's fascinating how deeply ingrained spaces can become in our psyche. This is one of those times when a wonderful concept can marry with capable technology in order to create a transcendent experience, and honestly, that's why I do theatre. I love being able to take an out-there idea and make it possible using the tools that we have available to us, whether that be technology, craftsmanship techniques, or yet-to-be-explored approaches. I am also perpetually in love with the aesthetic of Catholic spaces, and it's so true that reverberating organ music and the smell of incense can take you straight back to a familiar cathedral space. It's also interesting to think of the cultural implications of the spaces we inhabit as a group. Different architecture styles across different countries, cultures, or time periods means that you have to be specific with the setup and execution of the effect in order to evoke the right reaction from the right group of people.
This is a really interesting article. I really love how they were able to adapt their work to meet the limitations put forth by the pandemic. Sound technology like this is becoming pretty widespread it looks like, and that is extremely exciting for the future of the entertainment industry. Being able to sonically replicate a specific environment in any venue at any time is something that is amazing and extremely versatile. You can create cathedral sound while not physically being able to be in a cathedral, yet that opportunity is still something you can achieve. I have seen this type of technology pop up in some academic band classrooms. There is a system in place that uses microphones and speakers to listen to the sound that is being played by the students and output in real time with any effect you may want to have. For example, students are able to hear the way they are going to sound at their recitals in the auditorium in the band classroom before the dress rehearsal. This type of technology is so cool and exciting.
At a time where all limitations seem to be put in place, it is quite impressive artists can still find a way to defy them. In a world in which we cannot have the “legit” thing, we might as well have a copy. We are lucky enough that this pandemic happened when it did – what I mean is, at a time in which we can get creative thanks to the technology we have. As the article described, and as we all have experienced, getting something to feel just an ounce of what the authentic things are is nearly impossible. And yet, we get to stand here and look at what could be accomplished. The feeling of being inside a cathedral, no matter your religion, is unmatched. There is something so grand in standing in a building seemingly older than time itself, yet so intricately built. Somehow encompassing that speaks to our souls, to where we look towards creativity.
I think it is remarkable how much information we gather from our senses that we do not even realize we are taking in. For example, if someone asked you to describe the smell of a church, I think it would be really challenging, but when you smell incense, you instantly are brought to being in a church. It is always really impressive when theater artists can identify those things that we typically are not even aware that we are observing and then use that to inform and create an atmosphere. To recreate the feeling of a centuries old cathedral is extremely challenging, and honestly I think I would feel like I am not even sure of where to begin. But, then I think it comes back to observation. Being able to observe the world around you actively is the most important skill for theater designers to have. I would love to be able to see what it is like to experience a cathedral not in a cathedral!
This was a very interesting article. While I have never been in the specific cathedral in Spain mentioned in the article, I have sung in a choral performance at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and recall the very, very distinct look and sound of the interior of the cathedral and how the noise reverberated around the room. That is part of how cathedrals have been designed for thousands of years – a specifically shaped interior which created a very specific resonance to amplify and power the voices of those singing or performing. The acoustics of a theatre are quite the opposite – they are often designed to minimize any distortion or reverberation of noise inside the space as to not take visitors out of the experience on stage. The fact that d&b audiotechnik was able to accurately sonically recreate the acoustics of a cathedral in the acoustically opposite space of a theatre house is honestly mind blowing. I suppose in a way it is a testament to how far technology has come and just how advanced our understanding of sound, acoustics, and digital audio manipulation has come. This is a truly impressive feat, which I would be so curious to experience myself.
5 comments:
It's fascinating how deeply ingrained spaces can become in our psyche. This is one of those times when a wonderful concept can marry with capable technology in order to create a transcendent experience, and honestly, that's why I do theatre. I love being able to take an out-there idea and make it possible using the tools that we have available to us, whether that be technology, craftsmanship techniques, or yet-to-be-explored approaches. I am also perpetually in love with the aesthetic of Catholic spaces, and it's so true that reverberating organ music and the smell of incense can take you straight back to a familiar cathedral space. It's also interesting to think of the cultural implications of the spaces we inhabit as a group. Different architecture styles across different countries, cultures, or time periods means that you have to be specific with the setup and execution of the effect in order to evoke the right reaction from the right group of people.
This is a really interesting article. I really love how they were able to adapt their work to meet the limitations put forth by the pandemic. Sound technology like this is becoming pretty widespread it looks like, and that is extremely exciting for the future of the entertainment industry. Being able to sonically replicate a specific environment in any venue at any time is something that is amazing and extremely versatile. You can create cathedral sound while not physically being able to be in a cathedral, yet that opportunity is still something you can achieve. I have seen this type of technology pop up in some academic band classrooms. There is a system in place that uses microphones and speakers to listen to the sound that is being played by the students and output in real time with any effect you may want to have. For example, students are able to hear the way they are going to sound at their recitals in the auditorium in the band classroom before the dress rehearsal. This type of technology is so cool and exciting.
At a time where all limitations seem to be put in place, it is quite impressive artists can still find a way to defy them. In a world in which we cannot have the “legit” thing, we might as well have a copy. We are lucky enough that this pandemic happened when it did – what I mean is, at a time in which we can get creative thanks to the technology we have. As the article described, and as we all have experienced, getting something to feel just an ounce of what the authentic things are is nearly impossible. And yet, we get to stand here and look at what could be accomplished. The feeling of being inside a cathedral, no matter your religion, is unmatched. There is something so grand in standing in a building seemingly older than time itself, yet so intricately built. Somehow encompassing that speaks to our souls, to where we look towards creativity.
I think it is remarkable how much information we gather from our senses that we do not even realize we are taking in. For example, if someone asked you to describe the smell of a church, I think it would be really challenging, but when you smell incense, you instantly are brought to being in a church. It is always really impressive when theater artists can identify those things that we typically are not even aware that we are observing and then use that to inform and create an atmosphere. To recreate the feeling of a centuries old cathedral is extremely challenging, and honestly I think I would feel like I am not even sure of where to begin. But, then I think it comes back to observation. Being able to observe the world around you actively is the most important skill for theater designers to have. I would love to be able to see what it is like to experience a cathedral not in a cathedral!
This was a very interesting article. While I have never been in the specific cathedral in Spain mentioned in the article, I have sung in a choral performance at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, and recall the very, very distinct look and sound of the interior of the cathedral and how the noise reverberated around the room. That is part of how cathedrals have been designed for thousands of years – a specifically shaped interior which created a very specific resonance to amplify and power the voices of those singing or performing. The acoustics of a theatre are quite the opposite – they are often designed to minimize any distortion or reverberation of noise inside the space as to not take visitors out of the experience on stage. The fact that d&b audiotechnik was able to accurately sonically recreate the acoustics of a cathedral in the acoustically opposite space of a theatre house is honestly mind blowing. I suppose in a way it is a testament to how far technology has come and just how advanced our understanding of sound, acoustics, and digital audio manipulation has come. This is a truly impressive feat, which I would be so curious to experience myself.
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