Immersive audio capabilities at festivals: Insights from Polygon Live event.

Immersing the Festival-goer: How Polygon Live London Blended cutting-edge Audio Tech with Top-tier Talent

Fast forward to the audio revolution, where we're embracing the post-stereo era. With cinematic setups like Dolby Atmos and the recently adopted multi-speaker systems, the 3D soundscape and binaural mixes are no longer esoteric novelties. But, can this level of immersion translate to the pulsating energy of a music festival? That's exactly what Polygon Productions aimed to accomplish with their Polygon Live event at London's Crystal Palace Park.

Boasting a powerhouse lineup for the weekend, Polygon Live boasted live acts like Tinariwen and Arooj Aftab on the Friday, followed by electronic acts Max Cooper and Kiasmos on Saturday and Sunday. The unique event took place inside a tent housing a L-Acoustics 360° speaker rig, with speakers arranged in a ring around the space and some overhead.

Polygon's organizers went the extra mile to ensure each act leveraged this setup to its full potential. Cooperation between the organizers and the artists, as detailed in our earlier feature, ensured that the festival's performances were optimized for this immersive audio setup.

However, there were instances when the immersive approach led to confusion. For instance, during Jon Hopkins' "Ritual 360" set on Saturday, the audience was unsure if they were witnessing a Live set or merely a playback of pre-recorded material due to a lack of visual focal point and tones emanating from all sides. The confusion was resolved towards the end of his set when Hopkins appeared on a front-stage piano and played a captivating albeit short set accompanied by a minimal arrangement of live strings.

Despite minor hiccups, the event's remaining performances took place on the same stage, and the aural confusion didn't reappear. Hopkins' set served as a reminder of one of the system's drawbacks – its popularity could lead to overcrowding, causing some attendees to miss out on the complete experience.

Yet, the immersive audio experience worked best in the most subtle instances, like Halina Rice's set where the audience was enveloped in her mutating electronic grooves. But it became apparent that 360 audio suits certain sounds better than others. Moments when a percussive element shifted behind or to the side of the crowd created audible delays, generating an effect akin to a poorly mixed DJ set for those at the periphery of the space.

A standout set from Dutch duo Weval showcased one of the weekend's best applications of the 360 setup. Their live set, infused with electronic house grooves and melodic synth lines, capitalized on the subtle deployments of the 360 technology, immersing those at the back with a sense of full engagement.

Despite the occasional kinks and debates around cost and complexity, the focus on audio quality at Polygon Live set it apart from many other festivals. The L-Acoustics rig provided an even distribution of sound levels, ensuring a fantastic live sound for most attendees.

Let's take a glimpse at Max Cooper's headline set, which showcased his genre-bending abilities, making the most of the 360 tech and demonstrating the perfect marriage of an artist and space. Stripped of the visual spectacle of his headline shows, Cooper's prowess shone through, seamlessly blending genres and ideas, all the while capitalizing on the 360 tech's unique characteristics.

In the realm of artistic expression, immersive audio provides novel avenues for experimentation. As Polygon Live LDN demonstrated, immersive audio can evolve the festival experience, making for a more intertwined and dynamic auditory landscape for attendees. However, like any technological advancement, immersive audio faces its challenges, including complexities in implementation, logistics, and cost. Nonetheless, the future shines bright for those eager to immerse themselves in a new way of experiencing music. 🎧🎉🎶

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Signing up for the newsletter ensures you won't miss out on immersive technology advancements in music, as demonstrated during Polygon Live London where audio tech was seamlessly integrated with top-tier talent, pushing the boundaries of the festival experience and making music entertainment more dynamic.

Engaging 360 soundscapes, like the one used by Polygon Live, open up new possibilities for musicians and DJs to explore and enhance their creative endeavors, blurring the line between entertainment and technology. Stay tuned to our newsletter to learn more about such groundbreaking developments in the music world. 🎧🎉🎶