China’s first-ever BMW Group Night, held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, saw the German automobile giant unveiling its latest electric vehicle series, the BMW iX SUV.
A 120m deep stage, surrounded on three sides by LED screens was created and BMW also invited Academy Award-winner Hans Zimmer to create an electronic soundtrack to accompany the iX debut.
To further immerse the audience in the show, producers Beijing Junwei Renhe Event Management asked one of China’s top sound engineers, Jin Shaogang, to design a 360-degree sound system for the event. Having previously worked with L-ISA immersive sound technology for the 2019 season of Sing! China, Shaogang knew that the technology would be the perfect way to galvanise the audience’s sense of sight and sound. Shaogang specified an L-isa configuration supplied by Hangzhou Das Wumei Technology.
The L-isa immersive sound configuration consisted of five hangs of eight L-Acoustics Kara spread across the stage area, while nine arrays of two L-Acoustics A10 - one Focus and one Wide each - surrounded the sides and back of the audience. Six KS28 subwoofers per side provided low-end rumble, and eight X15 HiQ ensured onstage monitoring. The entire system was powered by 24 LA12X amplified controllers.
Shaogang captured 360-degree surround recordings of the BMW iX engine and its movements with the assistance of L-Acoustics Asia Pacific director of application project, Alvin Koh. For the live show, the on-stage iX was equipped with a BlackTrax infrared sensor for real-time tracking.
Integrated into the L-isa Controller, the BlackTrax movements triggered the engine sound recordings in real-time with the on-stage car. When mixed live with the presenter’s speech and a world-class soundtrack, a captivating, exhilarating sensory experience profoundly affected the audience; a few stood up and applauded some of the most impactful moments. In addition, a representative from BMW Group China expressed his delight with one of the best product presentations he had ever experienced.
Koh from L-Acoustics said: “The natural and vivid experience of L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound, elevated the show to greater heights. Thanks to the astute technical vision of Mr. Shaogang, and the collaboration between various partners involved in this show, we were all proud to present a brilliant dual-sensory show for BMW and the audience.”