Consultants to the Arts and Culture
ABBA VOYAGE
Audio design and systems
We were engaged by Aniara as design consultants for audio, show control and room acoustics for the purpose built venue, and sound designer for the show itself. Scroll down for more details about the audio and show control or click the link to the ABBA Arena acoustics page.
SYSTEMS OVERVIEW
Exaggerated reality
The overarching design intent was to make the concert experience as real as possible for the audience. We used a combination of an immersive loudspeaker system design, tracking of objects, active room acoustics and subtle sound design content to help create an authentic concert experience.
L-ACOUSTICS LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM
The main loudspeaker system consists of eight arrays of 12 L-Acoustics Kara II with a left, centre and right flown and stacked bass array of KS21 subs. The extension arrays consists of two arrays of 8 Kara II and four arrays of 12 Kiva II.
The surround system consists of 22 L-Acoustics Syva loudspeakers individually powered and the overhead system consists of 52 L-Acoustics X8 loudspeakers powered in pairs.
The front fill system consists of five arrays of two Kara II mounted to the top of the LED screen and nine individual Kiva II elements at the bottom of the LED screen. An additional 10 L-Acoustics X8 loudspeakers are evenly distributed along the stage front.
L-ISA PROCESSING
A pair of L-Acoustics L-ISA Processor II units in a dual-redundant configuration are used for all placement and panning of music and dialog for the concert. There are around 120 snapshots that are automatically fired by time code.
L-ACOUSTICS AMBIANCE ACTIVE ACOUSTICS
ABBA Arena is the first commercial deployment of L-Acoustics Ambiance active acoustics. The system consists of 16 room microphones processed using four L-Acoustics P1 Processors.
The system is used to provide early and late regenerative energy into the space using mainly the surround and overhead loudspeakers.
AUDIO CONTROL SYSTEM
The console system consists of a mirrored pair of DiGiCo Quantum 5 mixing consoles, Merging Technologies Ovation show sequencers, AVB and Optocore signal ditribution systems, Antelope Audio Isochrone Trinity clock master, Shure Axient Digital microphones and PSM1000 IEM systems.
OVATION MULTI-TRACK PLAYBACK
A pair of Merging Technologies Ovation systems are used to deliver the playback content and clicks and counts for the band, as well as the time code signal to all technical systems to ensure the synchronised delivery of all technical elements.
Programmed by our team throughout the rehearsal period, the Ovation systems are operated by the Show Caller for each show.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The people and companies that made it happen.
A huge thanks to Ludvig, Svana and Nick for getting us involved in the project. Please see below for detailed credits.
Our Client
The Audio system was designed by Scott Willsallen with support from Luis Miranda. Our implementation team included Luis Miranda, Simon Sayer, Joe Callister and Martin Dineley.
Our Team
Thanks to Robin Conway, Toby Chester and the team from Solotech for supplying and installing the audio system to our specifications. Solotech continues to run the show on a daily basis to sold out houses.
Our Suppliers
ABBA VOYAGE CREDITS
Aniara Creative: Producer – Svana Gisla, Producer – Ludvig Andersson, Director – Baille Walsh, Line Producer – Josh Barwick, ILM Movement Director – Ben Morris, VFX creative director – Nikki Penny, Choreographer – Wayne McGregor, Musical Director – Martin Lowe, Instrument Director – Philip Adams.
Production: Technical Producer – Nick Levitt, Technical Director – Joe Frisina, Head of Infrastructure – Chris Hey, Rigging Consultant – Jon Bray
Design: Design and Engineering Consultants – Jeremy Lloyd (Wonder Works), Venue Architects Alicia Tkacz (Stufish Entertainment Architects), Visual Consultant – Mathieu Debay (Tetro), Audio Design – Scott Willsallen (Auditoria), Video Technical Director – Anthony Bezencon (VYV), Lighting Director – Fredrik Stormby (Greenwall), Kinetic Design – Christopher Bauder (White Void), Laser Design – Michael Sollinger, Laser Design & Programming – Sascha Kwasny (Tarm Show Laser)
Venue: Construction – Tony Wheeler & James Lee (ESG), Technical design – Andy Prescott (ESG), Structural Engineering – Ewa Hazla & Aran Chadwick (Atelier One), Concourse construction – Stage One
Suppliers: Systems Supplier – Ian Woodall & Paul McCauley (Solotech), Kinetics – Florian Fink (White Void), Lasers supplier #1 – Michael Sollinger, Lasers supplier #2 – Sascha Kwasny (Tarm Show Laser), Rigging – Mike Goodwin & Calum Willoughby (Unusual Rigging), Automation & Stage – Geert Stockmans (WiCreations), LED Screen Wall Hardware – Brecht Moreels (Twenty-Three), Soft Goods Auditorium Wall – Tom Lambert (Black Out), Soft Goods Roll Drops – Daphne Cosquer (ShowTex), Custom stage barrier – Anthony Sinclair (EPS), Carpentry – Liam Hill (Coldharbour Industries)