Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music has positioned itself at the forefront of immersive audio education with the installation of L-Acoustics L-ISA Hyperreal Sound Technology at its 1,460-seat Musical Arts Center (MAC). The new system not only delivers superior sound experiences for performances, it also provides students hands-on experience with technology that’s rapidly becoming the industry standard in professional venues worldwide.
Modeled after New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, the MAC serves as both a premier performance venue and an advanced learning environment. Solotech performed the recent installation and system integration, based on specifications from project consultant Sound Associates.
“We’re committed to giving our students experience with technology that’s defining the future of live sound,” says Michael Stucker, Chair of IU’s Music Industry Department and the Jacobs School of Music. “L-ISA is the future, and our students will graduate with a significant competitive advantage having worked with this system.”
Investment in Student Success
Domonic Sack, Executive Vice President of Sound Associates in New York and former Metropolitan Opera tenor, emphasizes the strategic importance of the installation: “Immersive sound has become essential in modern productions, from opera to Broadway. Students working with L-ISA are learning skills that will be crucial for their careers in theater and live sound.”
“This is not just any school,” continues Sack. “Indiana University is one of the foremost schools in the world for music, and particularly for opera. Many of my colleagues did their musical training there, taught there, and coached there. The theatre was familiar with L-Acoustics and knew the support would be there when needed, so when I brought up the idea of L-ISA, they were very receptive.”
Sack, who worked with noted Broadway sound mixer Ty Lackey (Roald Dahl’s Matilda: The Musical, Memphis) on the system design, says the potential for L-ISA immersive sound technology to enhance both the performances at the theater and the students’ abilities in their future careers is considerable. “Opera has an incredible storied past that should be built upon, and today’s composers are exploring new ‘colors’ and musical ideas—including immersive sound experiences, which are fast becoming a staple on Broadway,” he says. “Localization of sound on stage is something that audiences are coming to expect without even being aware of it. Students having the tools and becoming familiar with L-ISA will bring more than sound reinforcement to IU; it will help students create sound for the future of theater and opera.”
Stucker, who is also an Associate Professor of Music in Audio Engineering and Sound Production, explains that the choice to move to immersive sound was clear, since this is the direction performance venues are moving in. “But it’s not a light undertaking, financially or technically, so we looked really seriously at several immersive system brands first,” he says.
Cutting-Edge Technology Meets Educational Excellence
L-ISA technology stood out for several factors, including the fact that the school has used L-Acoustics before, including a Kudo rig installed in its 3,200-seat IU Auditorium as well as ongoing system rentals, and found them to be dependably great sounding. “Reliability is especially important for immersive,” he adds. “Frankly, we’ve already seen some systems come and go. We were making a long-term commitment. We already have a technically advanced theater and the sound has to be at the same level.”
The comprehensive system features five identical Scene arrays of five L-Acoustics A15i Focus over one A15i Wide each, spread out above the stage. Eight KS21 subs are flown in two hangs of two on either side of the center A15i array, while a single vertically-oriented A15i Wide per side is flown on the perimeters of the second and fourth A15 arrays to supply out-fill coverage.
Fifteen ultra-compact 5XT coaxial systems lining the stage lip provide spatialized front-fill, while a pair of Syva colinear columns complemented by six X8 are in place for stage monitoring. The system is powered by seven LA7.16i amplified controllers and one LA12X. System management and processing is done via an L-ISA Processor II and the P1 Milan-AVB processor.
Carrying a Sound Legacy Forward
Aaron Beck, Solotech’s Business Development Manager, Sales and Systems Integration, was among those who previously attended the school. “As an alumnus of the IU School of Music audio program, I knew the venue and the requirements of a new audio system, and it has been a great honor to be part of this University upgrade, allowing students to now have access to the same technology Solotech uses on our largest tours and our educational projects worldwide,” he says.
Solotech’s experience and relationship with L-Acoustics assisted in ensuring all equipment was available on a very tight timeline and installed to the specifications. The company worked closely with the IU team, Sound Associates, general contractor Weddle Bros., and Cassady Electrical Contractors to meet all project requirements. “As a result, the system has exceeded expectations, delivering the project from start to finish in less than six months, just in time for back-to-school,” Beck adds.
Stucker notes that the shows produced so far with L-ISA, including weekly jazz performances and two operas, have been crowd-pleasers. But just as important is how the students feel about it—and they really like it: “The students have been engineering everything so far,” he says, adding with a faux lament, “All of us faculty are kind of jealous because we haven’t got to mix on it yet. The students are having all the fun.”
