Martin Audio partner Old Barn Audio (OBA) has completed a second major VR installation, with immersive environment created using stereoscopic 3D headsets coupled with a pioneering mixed-reality sound system.

Two years after creating an immersive theatre for Somnai at Clerkenwell, in central London, OBA has again partnered with MagicBeans Ltd, to deliver a similar environment for the simulation and training of Highways England personnel – in order to give them real-world exposure to motorway scenarios.

‘For the Highways England installation we were asked to recreate the complex and dynamic sound of a real section of motorway for training purposes,’ explains MagicBeans MD, Gareth Llewellyn. ‘It is important that this volumetric audio simulation has both the power and the subtlety to achieve the goal of a true-to-life reconstruction of this complex procedural sound field, as well as offering trainees a realistic visceral experience of working in these hazardous environments.

Designed by MagicBeans and commissioned by MXT Reality, the installation combines open-backed binaural headphones with a full procedural 3D speaker environment provided by a Martin Audio CDD system. The installation is in a repurposed 30m x 8m long rectangular office space at a new distribution centre near Ilkeston in Derbyshire, and will move to a much larger dedicated VR stage being built once testing is complete.

‘The original installation, which also used Martin Audio speakers, was so successful that MagicBeans approached us again,’ says OBA Project Manager, Neil Kavanagh.

Kavanagh says that OBA had responded to ‘an immense spec’. which includes two rings of 12 Martin Audio differential dispersion technology CDD6 loudspeakers. The lower ring is set 0.9m off the ground and the upper ring 2.4m. Two Martin Audio Blackline X118 subs bring realism to the low frequencies, while six MA2.8Q amplifiers power the flown system, each speaker being assigned its own channel.

Explaining the choice of the CDD range, Kavanagh says: ‘We chose CDD because it is incredibly linear, and you can object-base the audio without any hotspots. Biaxial speakers would not have offered the same linearity.’

Despite the lack of ceiling height Kavanagh says the effect of this 3D immersion for simulation training is perfect once personnel don the sensor-equipped VR headsets. ‘A MotU 24AO 24-channel audio router sends out signals which can be placed anywhere in the sound field, in a mixed channel and object-based arrangement.’

Meanwhile, the bespoke computer-based software engine driving the system – Roundhead – has been developed by MagicBeans.

‘For the Highways England installation we were asked to recreate the complex and dynamic sound of a real section of motorway for training purposes,’ explains MD, Gareth Llewellyn. ‘It is important that this volumetric audio simulation has both the power and the subtlety to achieve a true-to-life reconstruction of this complex procedural sound field, as well as offering trainees a visceral experience of working in these hazardous environments.

‘We trust Martin Audio speakers to deliver the necessary punch and clarity to achieve these goals in this complex spatial audio environment,’ Llewellyn adds. ‘The installation offers the right combination of power, reliability, quality and price that makes this installation an impressive and successful experience for client and end-user.’