4D experience at Madame Tussauds London

London's new Madame Tussauds auditorium is not a traditional cinema, but a unique model of next-generation immersive space. A “4D show” has just premiered thanks to the efforts of a team of technicians from Meyer Sound, Kraftwerk Living Technologies International, Threshold Animation Studios and Merlin Studios.

The new auditorium of almost 300 seats at Madame Tussauds in London has just premiered a “4D show” based on Marvel superheroes, in whose technical development an important team of technicians from Meyer Sound, Kraftwerk Living Technologies International, Threshold Animation Studios and Merlin Studios have participated.

"We scored the film and created the sound design as if we were making a blockbuster. Once something sounded great, we turned it up a notch," says Joshua Wexler, president of Threshold Animation. “The auditory experience significantly enhances all of our 3-D visual images and leads the audience to scream, laugh, jump and duck at all the right moments.”

Cinema Experience 7.1

A discreet Meyer Sound Cinema Experience 7.1 system was installed to provide an immersive audio experience for this dynamic application. Christian Hofer, CEO of Kraftwerk, commented: “When Meyer Sound introduced the new Meyer Sound product line, it was clear to us that by installing this precision technology in Madame Tussaud's theatre, we could achieve unprecedented effects while setting a new standard for immersive audio experiences.”

To bring this concept to reality required closely coordinated efforts by the Kraftwerk team. The results are a Dolby Format 91 compatible configuration, which is composed of seven Acheron front channel speakers, two 700-HP subwoofers, and a Galileo speaker control system with two Galileo 408 processors. Sensations of wind, water, earthquakes... become reality for the audience as a team of iconic superheroes leave the screen.

“I have been impressed by the passion, dedication and attention to detail that makes this project so successful,” said Paul Williams, creative director of Merlin Studios. "The audio is simply stunning, and the beautifully made film is so entertaining that it leaves you speechless. In conclusion, this is an incredible product that is being surprisingly well received by our guests," he added.

Edward Fuller, general manager of Madame Tussauds, highlighted that "our customers' reactions to the immersive experience are simply astonishing. The clarity of the audio, along with the 3D and 4D effects of the film allow audiences to feel as if they are really with the superheroes."

Brian Long, Project Manager for Live and Film Sound at Meyer Sound, along with John Pellowe, Project Manager for Constellation, mixed the audio content, which combined over 200 tracks of material and mixed into a 7.1 master for playback using two Icon and Avid Pro Tools HD mixing surfaces provided by Stronghire in the UK.

"Mixing in the exhibition space allowed us to create maximum impact. With stunning sound effects flying around the room to accompany the action within the film, we were able to deliver a rich tapestry of surround sound from the film's beautifully crafted orchestral score," said Pellowe.

In terms of projection, two Christie CP-2000ZX projectors have been installed with polarized filters that provide 3D images at 1920×1080. Additionally, five Christie DS+10K-Ms create immersive visual effects in the room.

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