The science of soundscapes

We dig deep into the expanding world of spatial audio – and how it is rewriting the language of experiential environments

Words Oliver Webb 

What is a soundscape? Now a blanket phrase, the term was originally coined by Michael Southworth in 1969 to describe acoustic conditions of urban life, and was later popularised by Canadian composer and music theorist R Murray Schafer. In the world of AV tech, a soundscape is a system that combines multiple audio clips to create a surround-sound, immersive experience.

And, in recent times, soundscapes have been the focus of technological development. For example, featuring a spatial audio system with 1600 speakers, a 16K resolution wraparound screen and haptic seats, Sphere in Las Vegas has changed the soundscape game. It is a venue designed to transport audiences into unique 4D sensory experiences.

More generally, in environments such as hospitality venues, branded spaces and museums, teams are using sound not just to complement visuals, but to lead the narrative. From audio systems that respond to audience movement in real time to hyper-localised sound zones that create personalised listening experiences within shared spaces, the possibilities are expanding rapidly. Let’s dig deeper into some groundbreaking recent examples.

Audio reinvention

As spatial audio moves from theory to real-world application, manufacturers and designers are rethinking how sound systems are made and deployed. One example is Wharfedale Pro, which has been developing loudspeaker systems aimed at making immersive audio more accessible across a wide range of environments.

Marko Jovanović serves as immersive audio systems designer and application and systems engineer at IAG Group. He is currently developing an inspiring, new immersive audio direction for the Wharfedale Pro brand.

“One of the reasons I am so excited about spatial audio as a technological development is because of the change it brings to the audience’s experience,” he begins. “For a good 30 years or so, we didn’t have any major technological breakthrough in audio that would have had an impact on the experience of the audience.”

He points to the introduction of line array systems in the nineties as the last major shift in large-scale deployment. “The line arrays changed how sound is covered throughout the room, and they massively improved the coverage and quality of sound,” he says. “But they are still stuck with the stereo problem.”

Lighting, video and visual work in live production have, by comparison, all advanced massively since then. “I am personally a huge fan of the big, old analogue mixing desk, which had real heart and soul in its wires. They sounded great, but it’s just more convenient for productions and venues to run things in digital now. For me, spatial audio, breaking 2D space and breaking the boundary of stereo is the biggest change in this experiential sense.”

When Jovanović hears the word soundscape, he explains it brings to mind imaginary space in your head. “It is not something defined by physical reality. For me, it’s like Narnia.”

Sound, according to Jovanović, is all about timing. “If things come to you at the wrong time, the frequencies are not aligned,” he explains. “Our brain does not know what is wrong, but we feel something is off. It’s blurry, it doesn’t sound realistic and that invisible speaker feeling only comes from a completely authentic phase response.”

With recent advances in technology, Jovanović argues 360° coverage is now possible in live venues. “It is mind-blowing, the potential for canvases. The tools and the ability of what you can do inside a soundscape as a creative artist are now at a whole new level.”

Jovanović, however, believes one underlying issue is that some of the people behind these creative choices are at an age when they are not willing to experiment, and opt to play it safe instead. “Especially if they are involved in touring with productions, they would rather avoid the risks of experimenting,” he says. “We do have companies now offering new technologies and telling artists it’s nothing to be afraid of, but it takes time because it’s a massive shift.”

Wharfedale Pro recently launched its Wharfedale Pro Immersive system. Jovanović oversaw the project, having been involved in its development since inception. The company has showcased the system in demanding environments, like the Dongting Lake Museum, which uses WLA systems for immersive 5D theatre applications, and large outdoor festivals like the Lauberhorn ski event.

“I am very happy to be part of something new,” says Jovanović. “There are use cases everywhere and you don’t have to break your budget. Besides the obvious use cases of live shows and theatre productions, we are seeing lots of investment in houses of worship. Religious experiences can be emphasised and augmented by the technology as well.”

Sonic Orbit

While manufacturers like Wharfedale Pro are advancing the tools that make immersive audio more accessible and scalable, the true creative potential of these systems becomes most apparent in specialised environments. Spaces designed without the constraints of traditional stage-front audio, such as planetariums, offer a glimpse into what fully realised spatial sound can achieve.

Founded in 2012 by Grammy-nominated immersive audio producer Tom Ammermann, the company New Audio Technology develops audio and music  production/reproduction tools for next-generation audio applications. One of its latest projects involves immersive live mixing in 49.1 at the Zeiss-Großplanetarium in Berlin for the Peter Schilling show. A Kling & Freitag speaker system and Midas mixing console are used to bring the show to life.

The event is an immersive 90-minute multimedia concert experience in 360°, live with Peter Schilling and his band. It explores new ways of combining music and astronomy with elaborate full-dome visualisations and a 3D sound design specially adapted to the dome.

“Everyone is talking about immersive audio but, in live settings, it is usually nothing more than an enhanced front sound system,” says Ammermann. “In a planetarium, there are entirely different possibilities, but also challenges.”

Ammermann explains that when the opportunity to demonstrate immersive audio to Peter Schilling arose, he was immediately hooked. “That was a good three years and one full Dolby Atmos release ago. Whether we’d implement this in the planetarium for a live event was not something we needed to discuss – only the how. Fortunately, the director of the Zeiss-Großplanetarium in Berlin and producer of the show, Tim Florian Horn, also didn’t need convincing.”

In terms of the possibilities for spatial audio, Ammermann says the location is a dream. “A planetarium equipped with an immersive speaker system, like the one in Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg, offers truly diverse possibilities for distributing and moving audio objects freely throughout the space around the audience. But this only makes sense if it’s plausible in terms of entertaining an audience. A bass drum in the top channel certainly wouldn’t be part of that.”

The main challenge for Chris Prochnow, who mixes all of Peter Schilling’s shows, was how to strike the right balance: positioning the band with high resolution at the front while also taking advantage of the new possibilities. “Using our Spatial Audio Designer Processor (SAD-P), which was inserted directly in between the console and loudspeaker system, Chris was able to perform his usual sound processing at the console and position the signals (objects) accordingly in the space,” adds Ammermann.

“In doing so, he took advantage of the opportunity to create a very transparent yet compact overall sound, featuring enveloping reverbs and keyboards, as well as various dynamic elements,” he continues. “The trajectories of the live inputs were pre-programmed directly in the SAD-P and could be triggered on cue. Acoustically, a planetarium is a nightmare, so Chris had to make sensible compromises, which ultimately produced an exciting yet solid sound result.”

The first two concerts, which took place last October, sold out, as were the two in March. Tickets for the May concerts are also gone. “As happy as I am about the significantly improved sound quality of immersive ‘standard sound systems’, immersive sound for live applications can certainly be more, especially without pointlessly rotating audio signals just because it’s possible.”

Festival scale

While planetariums offer purpose-built environments for fully immersive sound, many of the same principles are being utilised across other large-scale live events. Even in more conventional outdoor festival settings, where stereo and front-facing systems still dominate, manufacturers are exploring ways to improve spatial clarity, coverage and audience engagement.

Music festivals, such as Coachella, rely on high-scale immersive tech for power and to keep up with audience demands and expectations. The 2026 edition, for example, featured The Bunker: a 17,000 sq ft, subterranean, air-conditioned space, which housed Radiohead’s Kid A Mnesia 25th-anniversary audio-visual installation. Other high-profile events rely on new technology to boost their shows. The Vision and Colour Music Festival (VAC) is a prime example. The two-day electronic music event featured international artists such as Calvin Harris, Chris Lake, Illenium, DJ Snake and Excision. For the event, pro audio technology company Adamson debuted its new Vergence Group Series. With large crowds and an open-air environment, the challenge was less about precise object-based spatialisation and more about maintaining consistency and impact across a wide listening area.

Systems provided by Real Music Acoustics and Lighting Technology utilised Adamson’s VGt line arrays as well as VGs subwoofers to deliver even coverage throughout the site. In these kinds of environments, factors such as weather conditions, audience density and scale can significantly affect how sound is perceived.

As spatial audio develops, it changes not just how we hear sound, but also how we feel and move through spaces. Whether it’s a live show, installation or planetarium, sound is becoming a far more active part of the experience, not something that sits in the background.