Broadcast
Sing! China
Context
The Team
Provider
MRT
Distributor
Sound Engineer
Jin Shaogang
Sing! China Gets Immersive Sound With L-ISA Hyperreal Immersive Technology
Sing! China, a popular re-branded version of The Voice for China, is based on the original format of The Voice of Holland talent show phenomenon that has been successfully franchised into over 30 countries. It begins with a singer entering into blind auditions with a panel of four mentors, leading to a series of public votes – the winner receives a record contract. Much of its impact comes from large, engaged audiences with its pre-recorded studio shows and the epic stadium-based live finals.
The Challenge
The influence and atmosphere generated by the engaged audience and stadium are vital to the show’s success. Since the mentors can only hear and not see the person auditioning, the sound must be clear and exceptional. The final performance is held in an epic stadium, and designing a sound system for this venue’s size can be a challenge. The team needed to set up the system in a reasonably short time, and there were many logistical issues to solve. For the finale, the needed PA elements were to withstand anything that the unpredictable Beijing weather could throw at the team, with a long throw of exceptional sound for the massive space.
The Solution
Since the first season of the show, a combination of L-Acoustics sound systems and DiGiCo consoles, supplied by L-Acoustics distributor Rightway Audio Consultants, were used for the studio shows and live finals. In the 2019 season, a drive for constant innovation and offering an exceptional audio experience led to using L-ISA Hyperreal Sound technology for the studio shows audiences, with the PA design deploying five central hangs of seven Kara, with two hangs of eight Kara positioned far left and right. For the finale held at the stadium, Rightway designed the PA system comprising the main hangs of K1 and SB28 subs, and Kara fills and X15 HiQ were used for stage monitors.
System pictures
The Result
According to Rightway engineers who set up the show, WenHao Li, LangBin Zhou, and Haozhi Zhao, who used L-ISA for the production, brought a new listening experience to the audience and the mentors. The contestants benefitted from the incredible detail that the system brought to the stadium space. Jin Lei, the Director of Sing China, was equally impressed with the new rig.
Project photos
It sounded like we were experiencing a big-budget Hollywood production. The sound was amazing. After the first recording, I asked mentors how they felt, and the feedback was outstanding. They said it felt like they were surrounded by the music, and the vocal itself stood out clearly, and not harshly.
Jin Lei
Director, Sing! China
Tech Brief
L-ISA Hyperreal Technology System for the studio shows:
- 61 x KARA – (5 Scene Arrays of 9 KARA each complimented by 2 Extension arrays of 8 KARA each)
- Six x KS28 deployed as a single array
- Six x ARCS II (2 arrays of 3 ARCS II each used as outfills)
Conventional System for the final at the stadium (Main PA):
- Two arrays of 12 K1 on each side of the PA
- Two arrays of eight K1 with three K2 down each
- Delay Flown: six arrays of eight K2 each, two arrays of nine K2 each
- Delay Stacked: four arrays of four K2 each
- SUB flown: two arrays of 8 K1-SB each
- SUB stacked: two arrays of 15 SB28 each
Frontfill – 4 arrays of three KARA each
