TiMax delivers spatial audio for Dubai Airport immersive experience

Pixel Artworks has specified, with the advice of EM Acoustics, the spatial audio server TiMax SoundHub to create an immersive AV experience at Dubai International Airport (DXB).

Passengers arriving at the Dubai International Airport (DXB) are surprised with a unique installation of immersive audio and video, performed by Pixel Artworks with technology TiMax and EM Acoustics, with which it wants to show the spirit of the expo 2020 in this Arab emirate, which has been rescheduled for its celebration of the 1 From October to 31 March 2022.

Due to its late incorporation into this project, the TiMax team had to adapt to the audio design already defined in a very tight timeframe, which added new challenges “to what was already a rather difficult scenario”, explains the audio consultant Dan Roncoroni.

In addition to the highly reflective environment of the airport and the high level of background noise characteristic in this type of facilities, the project requirement was that the loudspeakers should not be surface mounted or visible.

Another challenge to overcome was the negotiation with airport managers to ‘soften’ the restrictive decibel limits that this type of environment has, to which was added that the planned deployment of electrical wiring did not coincide with the infrastructure schedule of the airport and only data cables could be passed through it.

Despite these challenges, airport officials expected the sound to be as immersive as the visual effects installed, in a comparatively small physical space.

“The project required a spatial audio configuration that went out of the bounds of most existing processors.. It was one of the many situations where you could do something hard in a hard way., or just do what you needed with TiMax”.

The solution revolves around a spatial audio server TiMax SoundHub, of 32 canals, which provides a nuanced and multilinear soundscape through Dante to 16 EMS-51, as defined by the acoustic consultant EM Acoustics, that were fixed the flexible Led screen panels, fixed around four of the marble pillars of the airport.

The specification of the speakers was based on the EMS51 being “best in class that fit audio requirements, size and budget marked by the airport”, adds Roncoroni.

specifically, four speakers have been installed per pillar to cover an angle of 120º for each. For this audio specialist, “I don't know of another processor that could so easily meet this challenge, with groups of four speakers pointing at each other 20 meters of distance in the widest separation”.

As Roncoroni adds, “TiMax's powerful spatial audio capabilities ensured compliance with the airport's restrictive decibel limits just ten meters from the facility”.

Managing bandwidth and total amplitude of ultra-compact groups of ultra-compact EMS51s, powered by Mezzo's half-rack amplifiers Powersoft, produce enough low-end to compensate for subwoofers that could not be installed. In addition to audio playback, TiMax also performs all mixing and equalization, that is activated with a Seventh Sense Media.

“Despite being possibly the worst environment I've ever known to install a spatial audio system," says Roncoroni., TiMax technology allowed us to create an incredible and cohesive soundscape that impresses everyone who passes through the installation. Thanks to the excellent localization of your system, the reflective environment of the airport ceased to be a concern, the speakers became invisible from the acoustic point of view and there is only one sound field of incredible quality”.

Other articles on Dubai Airport, EM Acoustics, Pixel Artworks, Seventh Sense Media, TiMax