Audio-Visual and Sports Industries Intersect with Audience Immersive Sound Experience
In the world of professional sports, the experience for fans has taken a significant leap forward with the introduction of EDGE Sound Research's groundbreaking Embodied Sound technology. This innovative solution transforms ordinary surfaces, such as stadium seats, into intelligent, high-fidelity sound emitters that not only produce audible sound but also deliver vibrations that can be felt.
The technology harnesses the power of transducers—hardware devices that vibrate according to custom software signals—to create a tactile audio experience reminiscent of feeling the bass at a concert or the vibrations from a gaming controller. By engaging both the hearing and touch senses simultaneously, Embodied Sound enhances immersion, making it hard to ignore the live game's audio elements in a noisy, crowded stadium.
In sports venues, this technology is integrated into seating or other materials, allowing fans to feel game sounds, such as the crack of a baseball bat or the bounce of a basketball. This adds a new dimension to live event engagement, creating a deeper connection between fans and the action on the field.
Beyond in-venue fan experience, EDGE Sound Research also employs the foundational technology in broadcast production through their "Virtual Sound Engine" (VSE). This system uses AI and visual object tracking to isolate and mix individual sound elements during live sports broadcasts, such as ball bounces, player voices, crowd noise, and announcer audio. By isolating these elements, broadcasters can create personalized, clearer audio experiences for fans and gain greater control and customization over audio feeds.
For instance, this could allow fans to selectively listen to a favourite player's sounds or other isolated game audio, even remotely, increasing immersion and providing new content monetization opportunities.
EDGE Sound Research is partnering with LEA Professional to build their full audio experience around LEA's amplifiers. Scott Robbins, Vice President of Sales at LEA Professional, praised EDGE Sound Research's innovative approach, noting that the LEA Connect Series 354, a four-channel amplifier with 350 watts per channel, is suitable for installations of all sizes, making it ideal for exclusive courtside decks.
EDGE Sound Research has specified multiple LEA Connect Series 354 amplifiers for the VIP experience at the Thomas & Mack Center, demonstrating their commitment to pushing the envelope and experimenting with new ways to reach audiences. The technology is called Embodied Sound and aims to bring sound to the entire body of listeners, redefining how fans experience sports both in-person and through media.
Ethan Castro, one of the founders of EDGE Sound Research, was born with conditions that left him hard of hearing at a young age and relied on feeling the audio. Castro's focus is on combining hearing and feeling to create a new form of audio reproduction. Using LEA Professional's technology allowed EDGE Sound Research to consolidate multiple pieces of equipment into a single, 1U rack space.
The LEA Cloud provides EDGE Sound Research with unmatched efficiency and ease of use for remote monitoring and control. The LEA Connect Series 354 is part of the Network Connect Series, the world's first IoT-enabled professional-grade amplifiers. LEA Professional's technology was used by EDGE Sound Research to specify an amplifier for the VIP section at the Thomas & Mack Center, as it was innovative and powerful.
Valtteri Salomaki and Ethan Castro are the founders of EDGE Sound Research, and the technology has been deployed by them in several exciting applications. EDGE Sound Research recently performed a high-profile audio installation at the VIP experience at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, with LEA Professional helping deliver completely immersive sound to the guests during the installation.
As EDGE Sound Research continues to develop new pro audio technology for sports, they plan to utilize more capabilities to build out personally curated experiences in the future. The future of sports fan experiences is here, and it's more immersive, personalized, and engaging than ever before, all thanks to EDGE Sound Research's Embodied Sound technology.
- The technology employed by EDGE Sound Research, called Embodied Sound, aims to bring sound to the entire body of listeners, creating a unique audio experience that combines hearing and touch sensation.
- In sports stadiums, Embodied Sound transforms ordinary surfaces into high-fidelity sound transmitters, allowing fans to feel game sounds like the crack of a baseball bat or the bounce of a basketball.
- The technology is also used in broadcast production through the "Virtual Sound Engine" (VSE), which isolates and mixes individual sound elements for a clearer, more personalized audio experience for fans.
- EDGE Sound Research partners with LEA Professional to build their full audio experience around LEA's amplifiers. The LEA Connect Series 354, a four-channel amplifier with 350 watts per channel, is suitable for all-size installations, providing an ideal solution for exclusive courtside decks and other high-end venues.
