Created by event technology specialist d&b group, the Immersive Technology Experience Centre (ITEC) is a new multi-room hub established in London’s Science Museum. The state-of-the-art venue supports d&b’s vision of immersive experiences through sensory engagement using spatial audio, virtual production (VP), virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR) technologies.
The selection of Sennheiser and Neumann products underscores ITEC’s commitment to a top-tier audio infrastructure.
Sennheiser’s Digital 6000 system is used within the main Immersive Sound & Vision Lab, which houses an XR studio that uses d&b’s SmartStage solution. ‘SmartStage is a Virtual Reality broadcast technology stack for creating immersive broadcast content,’ explains d&b solutions Head of Audio, George Veys. ‘The D6000 system handles all the presenter microphones and delivers flawless, high-quality, low-latency audio to the standard that we’ve grown to love with Sennheiser.’
Sennheiser evolution wireless G4 IEM systems work alongside Digital 6000 to carry interruptible foldback audio to the presenters, enabling talkback and audio from remote guests who can be ‘teleported’ onto the SmartStage canvas.
‘Choosing high-quality, reliable equipment that is suitable for both broadcast applications and R&D purposes was vital for ITEC. Our large rental stock of Sennheiser solutions proves this to us daily and reflects the excellence found throughout the entire Sennheiser Group product line-up,’ Veys continues.
The broadcast audio control room is responsible for ensuring first-class audio is delivered for streaming, or wherever the live event is being sent to. Famed for their superb impulse response and resolution, Veys notes that ‘Neumann KH 120 monitors are the gold standard for us. It was an easy decision to use them here, and our team have loved mixing on them’.
He further emphasises the role Sennheiser have played for them during this collaborative effort: ‘Our customers’ work ranges from live sports broadcasts and university lectures to high-level corporate presentations,’ Veys says. ‘The combination of Sennheiser’s market-leading reliability and product flexibility helps us effectively address all these markets, making it the obvious choice as one of our key audio partners for the ITEC facility.’
The ongoing relationship d&b enjoys with Sennheiser means regular support and training is offered by the Sennheiser team. ‘Only a few weeks ago, some of our engineers went to the new Sennheiser offices in Marlow,’ Veys says. ‘While Sennheiser Group products are all incredibly intuitive to use, building relationships between us and manufacturers, both in terms of specifying solutions and being up to date on their latest technology, is critical for continued success with the products. The talented Sennheiser team are always at the end of the phone when we need them. I believe this works both ways and this 360° feedback is why they remain at the top of their game.’
Since ITEC’s official opening in April, there has been a lot of positive feedback surrounding the multitude of benefits the facility will bring to stakeholders involved in d&b’s projects globally. It provides a place for them to test ideas with new technology and explore the possibilities available for immersive experiences through sound, video, lighting, and multi-media technologies. ITEC will also act as an R&D facility, working with manufacturers to integrate new technologies, try out ideas, and to engage in a range of education initiatives.
‘We’re thrilled to be collaborating with d&b on this fantastic, multi-faceted space that encompasses all the latest technologies,’ says Sennheiser Business Development Manager, Kevin Gwyther-Brown. ‘We believe that ITEC will serve as an ideal platform for d&b stakeholders and the broader community to explore the full creative potential of immersive environments, with our high-quality Sennheiser and Neumann playing a vital role in enabling them.’
More: www.sennheiser.com
