L-Acoustics Launches Ambiance Virtual Acoustics System

L-Acoustics announces the launch of the L-ISA Ambiance virtual acoustics enhancement system. Ambiance uses L-Acoustics loudspeaker systems, microphones, and an advanced 3D Room Engine powered by the L-ISA Processor II. Ambiance empowers acousticians, theater and audio-visual consultants, composers, and sound designers to transform the acoustic properties and qualities of a venue space to match the desired atmosphere. Ambiance enhances experiences by better connecting audiences and performers to each other and to their shared space, says the company.

The architecture and acoustics of a venue play an integral part in the audience and performer experience. From concert halls with long reverberation times that impart a lush feel for orchestras, to cinemas and halls with minimal reverb that allows for clear speech intelligibility, the experience of a space is as much due to the feel of its sound as to its decor. Where once venues were designed for single-use, today’s spaces are multi-purpose, changing with the calendar to better serve wider audiences.

Adapting acoustics through architecture is time-consuming, budget-hungry, and does not guarantee flexibility. The L-ISA Ambiance virtual acoustic enhancement system uses hardware—speakers, amplifiers, and processors—that are already a necessary part of modern venues. Adding strategically placed microphones to capture the existing acoustical energy of a space, Ambiance processes signals from the mics through the L-ISA Room Engine that’s built into the L-ISA Processor II, where reflections can then be individually managed with separate EQ, time, and space parameters, empowering a sound designer to create a desired sound atmosphere for the space. L-ISA Ambiance can be controlled via the L-ISA Controller on both Mac and Windows platforms, through the built-in configurations on the Processor, or with Q-Sys and Crestron third-party control systems.

“An L-ISA Ambiance system provides flexibility to a venue, opening up acoustic enhancement to a wider market, without the need to alter the look of the space,” explains Jordan Tani, Product and Technology Marketing Engineer at L-Acoustics. “Installing Ambiance not only gives a space future-proof flexibility, but it also opens up creative possibilities for designers to construct—and reconstruct—the aural feel of the space to their desire.”

The L-ISA Room Engine allows sound designers to spatially distribute early, late, and cluster reflections to the loudspeaker system to provide a true multi-channel room engine that considers the geometry and volume of the space itself. The L-ISA Room Engine gives users the power to individually customize gain, EQ, time, and space parameters to craft fine-tuned acoustic profiles. By managing these parameters, sound designers can tailor the feel of a space to create the desired atmosphere for the audience, the performers, or both.

L-ISA Ambiance can be used for acoustic enhancement applications or combined with L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal systems for object-based mixing in live performances or experiential playback in theme parks, immersive art installations or other experiential events. L-ISA Ambiance is already shaping sound spaces at the GES-2 House of Culture and at the upcoming ABBA Voyage Experience.

L-ISA Ambiance will be demonstrated at Infocomm in Demo Room W209. A beta version is currently being used by a select number of pilot projects. The public version will be available in Q1 2023.