Genelec brings immersive sound to Marvel exhibition

Produced by Semmel Exhibitions, Marvel: Earth’s Mightiest Exhibition, offers a fresh perspective on Marvel’s rich 80+ year history. With its world premiere taking place in Wellington, New Zealand, the exhibition gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creation of some of popular culture’s most iconic stories and characters – enhanced by an immersive soundscape from Genelec.

The audio for the project was a collaboration between Sebastian M. Purfürst of Berlin-based LEM Studios and acoustic scenographer Markus ‘Hossi’ Hossack. Commissioned to realise the artistic and technical concept of the immersive sound installation, they developed a soundscape that guides guests into the world of Marvel.

“As composers, media artists and engineers, we like to call the development of the sonic layers of the exhibition experience 'acoustic scenography', which comprises the actual musical narration, ambient moments, sound effects, voice-overs, and documentary layers,” said Purfürst. “The whole exhibition follows a common musical timeline, and, depending on the dramatic presentation of the rooms, we balance out the intensities and complexities of these acoustic elements.”

Marvel: Earth’s Mightiest Exhibition covers a 2,000 sq metre space with eleven themed galleries and a shop. It contains 60 pieces of original comic art, both vintage and modern, as well as the only known page to survive from the original Amazing Spider-Man script. It explores the relationship between the extraordinary and ordinary, shedding light on how these stories resonate with millions of fans around the world.

Marvel’s history is told through rare artefacts, multimedia displays and immersive technology that takes visitors on an unforgettable journey, with Purfürst and Hossack choosing 70 Genelec 4430 Smart IP networked loudspeakers for the exhibition.

“We utilised a complex matrix of loudspeakers spread across the exhibition space, with a central processing unit that feeds all acoustic events based on the Dolby Atmos standard,” explained Hossack.

“The biggest challenge we faced before deploying Genelec’s Smart IP loudspeakers were the complex routings. We would have needed a lot more cabling, for power, audio, networking and so on. With the Smart IP solution, everything was much easier – from rigging and cabling to routing. The loudspeakers were also the perfect size and integrated into the space seamlessly.”

The Marvel Universe provided Purfürst and Hossack with endless inspiration for musical ideas and sound design. The audio elements bring the characters to life – the Captain America statue, which is frozen in ice, crackles and emits eerie ambient drones. The surreal multiverse of Doctor Strange has otherworldly, spinning wormhole-like sonic particle streams, while the dark back alleyways of New York City play out fragments of urban beats.

“This was such a fun project to work on, but once we had finished our studio production, we faced some complex on-site challenges,” explained Hossack. “Reverberations and reflections caused problems, as well as sound spilling between galleries. We were also faced with very tight deadlines for set-up and on-site mixing. Additionally, the creation of a high-fidelity listening experience coupled with highly detailed audio events and the dramatic concept of the exhibition was also a challenge.

“The possibilities presented to us by Genelec’s Smart IP loudspeakers meant that we were able to resolve all these issues with relative ease. Thanks to Smart IP, build time was cut in half – since just one ethernet cable delivers power, audio and sophisticated loudspeaker management.

“We also found Smart IP Manager to be an incredibly useful tool. The software is a big bonus, enabling quick and easy adjustment of the loudspeaker output to the acoustic characteristics of each space. It allows us quick and easy access to all sorts of parameters, which means that we can finely tune the response of each loudspeaker as well as the system as a whole.”

Marvel: Earth’s Mightiest Exhibition has now finished its run in New Zealand, with new venues set to be announced in the coming months. Combining expertly designed immersive audio with never-seen-before artefacts, the exhibition is a walkable comic book that’s a must-see for any adoring Marvel fans. Genelec’s Smart IP models offer the ideal audio solution, transporting visitors to the centre of the cinematic universe.

Images via Marvel