In the latest rendition of the conneCT education sessions, Creative Technology (CT) invited a diverse group of designers, creatives, and users from various industries to a special UK presentation of HOLOPLOT X1, the Berlin-based pro audio company’s latest offering in the world of immersive audio.
While ‘immersive’ is undoubtedly the hottest keyword in today’s world of activations, audio remains an area that is less understood, less utilised, and often not considered. Traditionally visual content takes front and centre stage.
With no visual content to pull focus on this occasion, audio was given the opportunity to step into the limelight. HOLOPLOT treated everyone in attendance to a comprehensive demonstration sequence curated to showcase the system’s possible uses in various configurations. A real mix of content across different market sectors provided familiarity and context for those assembled in the room.
The ability to manipulate the audio output and accurately define physical hearing spaces with no spill between zones was received by the audience with both sheer amazement and confusion. The technical leap forward that enables users to precisely bounce audio off reflective objects opens a whole new toolkit in the world of immersive audio. And that’s not all… the unique characteristics of being able to ‘throw’ audio, so it’s within touching distance even when 30m away from the source, has effectively ripped up the physics textbook.
The immediacy of feedback and response from guests was evident, with many still not entirely understanding what they had heard or, more importantly, how.
“Having been in this industry for over 45 years, one can become a little jaded and cynical when it comes to new equipment. ‘Oh, not another black box’ – but Holoplot took me completely by surprise. I don’t know what sort of voodoo goes on in Berlin, but these guys have just changed the game completely. I am very excited about the creative options and possibilities these magic boxes offer Sonosphere,” Sonosphere Agency Technical Director, Jamie Gosney said.
“I have to say, this is the best implementation of immersive sound I’ve heard, often these demos are all about panning and dragging an instrument to a space which is more of an exercise in localisation than being immersive. But this technology allows you to carve up a space into areas that if desired cannot be heard from other seats in the house. You must physically walk into an area to hear the content and it’s all at show level. It’s a fantastic tool, in the right hands for the right event this is something to behold and will add a dimension to an event that has never been possible.
Creative Technology Head of Client Relationships, Lee Dennison said: “I’ve known the team at HOLOPLOT for a few years now and heard and used the original Orion system, which was a great starting point. HOLOPLOT have essentially taken what they have learnt from that proof of concept and started again with the X1. It’s just mind-blowing and the light bulb moments we witnessed amongst invited guests was wonderful to see. We have already had so many conversations from the session, with clients looking at how they can use X1 for projects in 2022. They have genuinely recognised the need to add an immersive layer of audio to their projects. We look forward to working with them on this as we move into the new year.”
HOLOPLOT Head of Business Development, Francois Villaret added: “The conneCT open day in collaboration with CT was an essential moment for HOLOPLOT as we continue to demonstrate the revolutionary capabilities and versatility of X1 to global industry professionals. Creative Technology and its broad network have significant expertise in delivering unique sound-based experiences for audiences. We share this purpose and have great trust in our partnership with the CT team, which made for a highly valuable session alongside key industry leaders and creatives. We thank everyone who attended and look forward with excitement to future collaborations.”