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Austin’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference exhibits cutting-edge innovation and creativity through technology, culture, and music; showcasing brands who aim to connect people. Spatial embarked on a unique mission to provide guests the experience of the full power of immersive sound at The Sunset Room with The Spatial Holodeck SXSW activation.
The activation, designed and fabricated by Pink Sparrow, set out to bridge a multitude of spaces that took visitors on a sonic journey powered by Spatial’s technology. By introducing three-dimensional, interactive soundscapes, Spatial and their partners redefined immersive experiences and provided an audio world unheard anywhere else.
Guests were surrounded by 360-degree immersive audio as they explored scenes from around the world and learned about Spatial technology throughout: guided demonstrations, a sonic listening lounge, hands-on opportunities with Spatial Studio and a stage for panel programming. The Spatial Holodeck partnered with arts and entertainment collective Meow Wolf, who designed a pop-up exhibit that took guests through an experiential journey with interactive moments within the Spatial Holodeck.
The team at Spatial knew they wanted to create an activation that seamlessly blended speakers and supporting technology with the activation’s physical design aspects. Spatial chose Sonance and James Loudspeakers, with a reputation of the highest quality audio system; bringing together some of the core artistic principles in audio design, sound-engineering, and AV integration. The collaboration between Sonance and Spatial made this experience a sonic work of art.
The team at Spatial expected a very diverse SXSW audience, marking their largest public-facing activation to date. With only 90days to bring this event to life and four days to build the activation, the stakes were high for Spatial to find a team that could help them implement systems that would seamlessly work together.
With multiple spaces throughout the 3,700 square foot venue, and acoustic challenges including 14-foot ceilings lined with exposed ductwork in the interior space, it was crucial to maintain audio quality. With these challenges and a desire for high-quality audio to elevate the distinct spaces throughout the activation, the team at Spatial reached out to Felix Media Solutions, for their world-class professional, creative, and technical capabilities with a focus on bringing their customers' visions to life.
— Lionel Felix CEO, Felix Media Solutions
Professional audio integration is more than merely filling a space with sound. It’s a tangible design element and a critical part of the space’s environment that is meant to create a mood and elevate the senses without distracting from the designer’s vision and aesthetic goals. For over 30 years, the architectural speaker pioneers at Sonance and James Loud speaker have continually explored and refined the fine art of musical fidelity within a designed space, with their series of award-winning in-wall and in-ceiling speakers.With Spatial, design principles are no longer a concern; spaces can now be designed with visual and audio intent in mind all while keeping the aesthetic and acoustic value of spaces at the highest priority. The Spatial Holodeck proved that by working with Sonance and Felix Media Solutions, seamless, custom and flawless integration can be accomplished; time only became an obstacle; not an inhibitor. Integration (installation) began offsite at the Pink Sparrow warehouse in LA, where Sonance speakers were installed in pre-constructed frames that were then shipped to Austin while Felix Media Solutions began installing Sonance speaker wire runs into the venue’s activation spaces in anticipation of the panels’ arrival and installing ceiling-mounted speakers and subwoofers. Both teams worked together to build connection boxes that were designed to meet the pre-arrival runs Felix Media Solutions installed in the venue, allowing for a seamless transition between the work done in Los Angeles and that done in Austin as activation components arrived and were assembled.
— Raja Haddad, Vice President of Product Marketing, Spatial
The team at Felix Media Solutions wanted to ensure that they integrated evenly balanced sound that was not only acoustically tuned but would also enable a truly experiential environment. Spatial had a very specific vision and high expectations of partnering with the best in technology, audiovisual, and IT, Felix Media Solutions understood the pre-work integration and preparation that went into a complex commercial activation.
With a very short timeline and a very strict project management schedule, the team at Felix Media Solutions was able to install over 179 channels throughout the 3,700 square foot activation as well as the exterior pop-up with Meow Wolf.
Guided Demo - A combination of over 32 speakers were installed in the 20” x 20” room to fill the space with rich, detailed bass frequencies. This install consisted of numerous James Loudspeaker PD62-4 Pendants, Sonance Mariner 56, Impact i12, and PS-S210-SUBT Subs in the ceiling.
Liminal Space - The entryway to the Guided Demo consisted of 20 speakers. 18 Sonance AS38S In-Wall speakers with two James Loudspeaker PD62-4 Pendants. This 20' x 10' walkway enveloped the room with soft content, and was a well-received auditory warmup to the Guided Demo.
Listening Lounge - What you currently have is great. The technical details to add if you want: 5 PD62-4 pendants, 2 James Loudspeakers OW53 on-wall speakers, 4 Sonance Mariner 56 speakers behind the fabric, 7 Sonance VP66 in-wall speakers, 4 Sonance AS38 In-Wall Speakers, 1 Sonance PS-S210SUBT Ceiling Sub, and 1 Sonance Impact i12 Floor Sub.
Tech Space - A combination of James Loudspeaker PD62-4 Pendants and OW53 On-Wall speakers were utilized, along with SonanceMariner 56 speakers, Visual Performance VP66 and Architectural Series AS38 In-Wall Speakers, and Impact i12 and PS-S210SUBTSubs.
Meow Wolf - The Meow Wolf exhibit showed off Spatial's dynamic abilities. With interactive exhibits scattered throughout the venue,Spatial's software was able to virtually place specific content designed for each individual island. The Meow wolf exhibit consisted of a40' x 60' tent with 61 channels of audio. Speakers included Sonance Mariner 56 Speakers, PS-S210SUBT and Impact i12 Subs, andJames Loudspeaker PD62-4 Pendants.
— Meow Wolf
James Loudspeaker Pendant Speakers have become a game-changer for commercial audio, delivering clean aesthetics, excellent sonic performance, and consistent tonality across its form factors. James Loudspeaker Pendant Speakers are perfect for applications with irregular architectural features, such as vaulted ceilings, and provide superior audio performance with a variety of finish options.
James Loudspeaker PD62-4
Sonance is based firmly in the belief that technology should be designed to disappear. It began in 1983 when founders Scott Struthers and Geoff Spencer introduced the world’s first in-wall loudspeaker. This approach of leading with design led to many more “firsts” and a proud heritage of innovation, continually refining the in-wall and in-ceiling speaker category by reducing bezel size, making solutions that are completely flush mounted, and for the ultimate design: making speakers that are completely invisible. These are the things that have inspired a philosophy that continues to drive the company’s brands today: that technology can and should blend in with the architecture and interior design of any space.
Building on the well-established heritage of innovation, the Sonance family of brands now includes the craftsmanship and customization of James Loudspeaker, and the elegance and utility of the IPORT brand. Each of these industry-leading brands follows the Sonance philosophy, unlocking an even greater range of solutions, each meticulously designed to enhance the user experience. Their combined efforts deliver solutions that go beyond expectation and beyond just audio. Sonance, James Loudspeaker, and IPORT have now delivered solutions for elevating the way technology is experienced in residential and commercial spaces for over 38 years.
It is through this consistent promise that Sonance has cultivated long-standing, authentic partnerships with leading architects, interior design professionals, custom installers, design-conscious consumers, and commercial end-users, from their home base in San Clemente, California and throughout the world.
Founded in 2017, Spatial unlocks the full potential of immersive technology to enhance human experience in real world environments. From retail stores to offices and hospitals, Spatial’s audio design and deployment software platform breaks down traditional audio barriers and offers new creative possibilities to enhance environments for meaningful engagement, powerful entertainment, and optimum well-being. Spatial's team and demo locations are located in Emeryville, CA and Scottsdale, AZ . Led by experienced leaders from Apple, Nest, LucasArts and Disney and backed by DBL Partners, BITKRAFT Ventures, National Geographic Society, The Kraft Group, Marquee Sports Holdings, WS Development and others, Spatial is poised to reimagine immersive human experiences.
Combining a strong foundation in technology with a premium client experience, Felix Media Solutions has been translating technical mastery into smart, easy-to-use, and scalable audio-visual solutions since 2015. The Felix Media Solutions team brings a combined 60 years of experience in managing end-to-end audio-visual projects from conception and through budgeting, product selection, installation, and management to post-installation support.Beyond delivering a well-designed and functional audio-visual experience, Felix Media Solutions believes that the client’s satisfaction and experience are just as important as the quality of the solution they select. The company’s steadfast dedication to exceeding clients’ expectations is why Felix Media Solutions is the fastest-growing audio-visual company in Texas. From new construction to retrofit commercial interiors ranging from 2,000 to 1,000,000+ square feet, the Felix Media Solutions team has created exceptional audio-visual solutions for hundreds of prominent business locations across all industries, including names like Whole Foods, Samsung, Kendra Scott, and Condé Nast.
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