L-Acoustics’s L-ISA immersive audio technology has been deployed to bring the Ancient Ephesus Experience to life.
Ephesus, home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the Theatre of Ephesus, which could hold up to 24,000 spectators, is one of the most visited cities in Turkey. To tell the story of the ancient city in a modern manner, DEM Museums created the Ephesus Experience, using state-of-the-art audiovisual technology–including L-Acoustics L-ISA immersive audio–and world-renowned talent, to transport visitors to Ephesus’ prime.
The experience imagines life in ancient Ephesus. Audio is crucial to plunging visitors into that narrative,” said Carolina Vallejo, creative producer at Marshmallow Laser Feast, producer of the Ephesus Experience Museum Vallejo. “Technology is our medium. We create immersive experiences using the most innovative technologies. We’ve found that using L-ISA shortens our workflow, making it easy for us to create immersive soundscapes. The quality of the L-Acoustics speakers makes L-ISA technology the obvious choice.”
Composer and Sound Designer James Bulley created an expansive and immersive audio world, drawing on in-depth research with historical specialists. The cinematic soundtrack features composers such as Thomas Newman (American Beauty, Shawshank Redemption) and Nainita Desai (For Sama). The narrative is performed by actors David Schofield (Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean) and Olivia Williams (The Crown, The Sixth Sense).
To bring it all to life, Turkish L-Acoustics Certified Provider Asimetrik, worked with Marshmallow Laser Feast and Willi Klein, application engineer at L-Acoustics, to design a complete 360° configuration that would provide an immersive sound experience for visitors as they make their way through the three different rooms of the Museum.
The final configuration comprises 71 5XT placed in the ceilings, dotted around the walls at ceiling and body height, or placed on top of and at the base of several pillars covered in video screens. Twenty-eight X8 coaxial speakers are placed around the walls at ceiling height, and in the main room, a corner-mounted cluster of one A10i Focus and one A10i Wide provide extra power. Three KS21 and four SB15 subwoofers provide low-end extension, and the system is powered by 7 LA7.16i amplified controllers.
“It was great working with the team at L-Acoustics,” said Vallejo. They supported us in our creative process and ensured the museum's team was trained and ready to support the system once the Museum opened.”
For Asimetrik project engineering manager Buğra Kezan, the project that technology is a great way to bring history to life. “We have been working with DEM Museums and we introduced them to L-ISA immersive audio for their very first project. They were already dreaming of offering a have a new, immersive audiovisual experience at Ephesus.”
“L-ISA was the perfect choice for this new kind of museum experience; it facilitated the creative workflow, was easy to integrate, and offered the best audio experience.” Now, after six months of operation, the decision has unequivocally paid off. The museum team has navigated without technical hiccups, and according to Kezan, the experience is the delight of visitors from around the world.”