Japanese Pop Star aiko Brings Immersive Concert Sound to Fans Using L-Acoustics L-ISA Immersive Technology Japanese Pop Star aiko Brings Immersive Concert Sound to Fans Using L-Acoustics ...
Hibino Sound deploys a K2–based L-ISA configuration in arenas across Japan
TOKYO, Japan – April 2024 – “aiko’s songs are often described as having unique and complex chord progressions and lyrics that move the audience emotionally. An immersive mix with L-ISA allowed us to give the audience an even deeper emotional experience without being distracted by the concert sound system,” says Hibino Sound’s Systems Engineer, Masaaki Nagayasu.
For her sold-out Love Like Pop Vol. 24 tour of Japan, superstar aiko presented her audiences with an L-ISA immersive experience from Osaka-jo Hall to Tokyo’s famous Nippon Budokan, aiko was backed by a 26-piece ensemble, interacting with her fans from a runway that extended to the rear of each concert area.
The tour’s live sound engineering and mixing company, Kentec Co., Ltd collaborated with L-Acoustics Certified Rental Agent Hibino Sound, a pioneer in designing and deploying concert sound systems for over fifty years, to specify a concert sound system. “We believed that the spatial representation and resolution provided by L-ISA technology would take aiko’s emotion-filled concerts to another level,” explains Mr. Nagayasu, who worked with aiko’s touring mix engineer Mitsuru Kotoya to design a system that could be adapted from venue to venue. “I had seen some shows using L-ISA, but I hadn’t yet worked with it myself. I was excited and looking forward to using it,” says Mr. Kotoya.
Always searching for new techniques to deliver a more profound emotional experience for concert audiences, the tour production team had no hesitation in accepting the L-ISA technology. Mr. Kotoya and Mr. Nagayasu set up a studio with an L-ISA configuration based around L-Acoustics X8 coaxial speakers to prepare mixes for the tour using files from previous aiko concerts. “In the studio, we found that subtle nuances of a song could be expressed in a live concert environment. As someone responsible for supporting and presenting an artist’s creativity in the concert venue, I found this particularly compelling,” reveals Mr. Kotoya. “We spent a lot of time discussing and verifying object layouts and movements, taking aiko’s wishes into account.”
Having prepped their files in pre-production allowed Mr. Kotoya to focus attention on mixing during the live shows. “Mr. Kotoya and I determined the artistic vision for each musical piece by evaluating the visual layout on stage. Then we set the parameters for the objects to create natural separation and a sense of unity in the music,” explains Mr. Nagayasu.
Hibino Sound deployed a main scene system of five arrays of L-Acoustics K2 with KS28 subwoofers flown behind the centre and additional KS28 ground-stacked in front of the stage. L-Acoustics Kara II delivered extension and out-fill, while A10 Focus boxes were deployed as spatial fill. L-Acoustics LA12X amplified controllers drove the system with L-ISA Processor II operating over a Milan-AVB network, using a combination of L-Acoustics LS10 and Luminex AVB switches.
Mr. Nagayasu calibrated the system using the M1 suite of measurement tools in LA Network Manager, saving valuable time. Over 100 input signals ran through a DiGiCo Quantum 7 mixing console.
The immersive sound experience engaged fans thoroughly, from intimate moments when aiko’s vocals harmonised with sparse musical instrumentation to expansive and panoramic soundscapes stretching beyond the stage width.
“L-ISA Controller allowed us to create object localisation. Its user-friendly interface gave us a stress-free creative process. With each concert venue, we were able to perfect the system while elevating the immersive sound experience for aiko’s adoring fans,” concludes Mr. Nagayasu.
More information about Hibino Sound and Kentec can be found at www.hibino.co.jp/english and www.kentec.ne.jp respectively.
Press release assets are found by clicking here.