Holoplot drives Nintendo Live soundtrack
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Nintendo Live is billed as ‘an all-ages celebration of Nintendo fun’. An in-person event, it debuted in Kyoto, Japan in 2018, with the 2023 edition being the first Nintendo Live event in North America. Across a large-scale themed area, guests were invited to play Nintendo Switch games together at the Variety Stage and Experience Zones, watch NintendoVS championship tournaments, and enjoy live entertainment on the Live Performance Stage, equipped with a Holoplot X1 sound system operated by Creative Technology US.
The challenge was to provide a system that ensured every detail of the much-loved music, performed by the 50-piece The Legend of Zelda Orchestra, conducted by James Olmstead, was delivered to fans, whilst containing it so as not to add to the noise floor of the surrounding trade show environment.
The sound designer for the show, Peter Lewis from Audisee Sound in Seattle, and Ralph Miller, creative executive producer at Ralph Miller Productions, were already familiar with Holoplot technology, having used Holoplot at Nintendo’s launch event for Luigi’s Mansion with a featured immersive attraction at E3’19.
“I love how Holoplot has been transforming what is possible in the world of audio,” says Miller. “The customisation and flexibility this advanced tech provides is changing how we design audio for a wide range of spaces including show environments like Nintendo Live other themed entertainment venues. Being able to give the audience a high-quality concert experience in the middle of a bustling gaming convention was our objective. The X1 performed above everyone’s expectations - it was quite impressive.”
Audio project manager, Darron Weasler, and the CT US team designed the system using Holoplot Plan’s 3D graphical interface to visualise the venue, making it easy to create one large file with multiple beam configurations matched with CT’s own Dante channels to use during different elements of the show. However, when the team arrived on site, it became apparent that the coverage area needed to be adjusted from the original CAD configuration.
“With standard systems, this could prove a problem and involve moving the arrays to different positions or having to add loudspeakers,” adds Weasler. “But with Holoplot’s optimisation algorithms, the listening area can be defined without making any physical changes, so we were simply able to add more beams rather than having to add to the system.”
By deploying one X1 MD96 and one MD80-S per side, with two MD96 as a centre array, Holoplot’s 3D Audio-Beamforming technology and intelligent software algorithms allowed the team to deliver highly controlled, efficient soundwaves that guaranteed both levels and quality remain consistent from point of origin to destination, whilst keeping the audio contained to the audience area.
“The live orchestral music was both comfortable and controlled and didn't overpower the adjacent show areas,” concludes Miller. “This was exactly what we had envisioned for the Nintendo Live mixed-use space. Creative Technology and Holoplot delivered the perfect solution for the project.
