Touted as being “how the cool kids will be mixing in 2030,” spatial or immersive mixing has actually been around for a long time — think quad in the 1970’s or the various surround-sound formats that seem to have forever vied for attention. Universal Studios or Disneyland theme parks have used honest-to-goodness immersive sound as an integral part of their flagship attractions for decades. Modern art galleries, high-end restaurants and boutiques, cutting edge theatrical events, worship venues, and even sporting events have all employed various versions of spatial sound to enhance the experience and elevate themselves above the competition. All this begs the question — what makes Meyer Sound’s Spacemap Go a big deal? Literally, the answer is that it’s so very, very easy!
Essentially, the Spacemap Go spatial sound design/live mixing tool leverages the processing power of Meyer Sound’s Galaxy Network Platform. The Spacemap Go iPadOS app provides a flexible, easy-to-use touch pad interface for Spacemap’s multi-channel panning, using one (or more) connected iPads to cost-effectively configure, program and implement sophisticated spatial sound mixing. It’s compatible with automated and live on-the-fly workflows and offers full integration with QLab and popular DAWs. The system stands out from other spatial audio solutions due to its ease, speed and simplicity of setup and operation.
Ready, Set… Spacemap Go!
At a recent demonstration held at the Soundcheck facility in Nashville, I had the opportunity to put my hands on the system. The rig consisted of a single Meyer Sound Galileo Galaxy 816 driving 13 full-range satellites encircling the room and a single sub. Two iPads were in operation to actually control the rig. After a short intro to the system, I was handed the iPads. The system was highly intuitive. The various methods of mapping and moving sound around the room came quite naturally, and it felt as if every “but what if I need?” had already been considered and addressed. Automating and triggering complex movement patterns around the room was as easy as sketching the desired path and hitting “Go.” Speed, direction of audio travel, etc., are all enabled in a predictable manner. While the software app has a bit of a no-nonsense, non-glamorous feel, the system felt simple, professional and again — intuitive.
A Spacemap Go system consists of any number of Meyer Galaxy Galileo audio processors, an Ethernet switch/router, and any number of iPads. A laptop or other computer running Meyer Compass audio management software is also needed; however, this can be as simple as using the Compass Go iPad app in place of the traditional computer and software. That’s it — it’s like one big red button labeled “EASY.”
As the Galaxy processors use familiar XLR analog and AES3 inputs and outputs and industry-standard Milan AVB digital inputs and outputs, nearly any professional speakers, consoles, amplifiers, digital snakes and audio interfaces can be easily connected and used. Beyond the need for the Meyer Galaxy processor, the system is certainly not limited to just Meyer products. From a sound-quality perspective, it’s important to note that the Spacemap Go system does not use any delay, wave-field synthesis or other digital trickery to accomplish the immersive experience — just good, old-fashioned quality audio directed where you want it and when you want it. The result is a system that sounds every bit as good as whatever the final playback system is capable of delivering, with zero zippering or other digital artifacts.
The iPadOS App
On the software side, the iPadOS control app is available free, making it easy to operate in demo mode to get a feel for flying the ship from your own favorite comfy chair. In actuality, one can map rooms and spaces, program (draw) movements, and set up automation triggers all from the comfort of your sofa or hotel room, ready to apply the final tweaks upon arrival at the venue.
On the automation front, Spacemap Go talks to any DAW or other audio device that speaks OSC (Open Sound Control), which pretty much covers every DAW a pro will ever use or encounter. In fact, the Spacemap Go app is an OSC control app itself. Spacemap Go also fully supports BlackTrax (blacktrax.ca) real-time tracking software, which means an audio mix can automatically follow a musician, vocalist, presenter or patron as they move about a stage or other space. Like all the tech companies headed by cool kids these days, Meyer Sound has the control protocol publicly posted on its site, so developers and end-users can tweak and customize Spacemap Go to match exact specs or control mapping of, say a particular DAW or control surface.
Beyond the Basics
Spacemap Go is ideal for mixing or mapping sound to discrete areas within any environment, either moving or static. However, it can do much more than that.
A few specific ideas hit me as I auditioned the system. In the late 1980’s, I helped develop the audio portion of the premier ride/attraction at Nashville’s Opryland theme park. The ride was basically a large indoor rollercoaster that rolled through a mostly pitch-black environment with occasional bursts of lights, visuals, bumps, turns and sounds that kept the riders in rapt anticipation for all 11 minutes of what seemed like a 30-minute ride. My part was wiring the path with speakers and jerry-rigging a system to track and follow the cars to provide the right bursts of sound at exactly the right moment in a highly controlled and directed manner. In this nearly pre-digital era, this was quite a feat and required a serious sound engineer to run the rig, as well as regular check-ups from a qualified audio systems engineer. Had Spacemap Go been available then, I could have accomplished the system design in a tenth of the time, and almost any part-time park employee could be quickly trained to operate the system.
In 2001, I headed the audio recording and acoustics program at Volunteer State College just outside Nashville, and we hosted a national techno music event for techno and house composers. The event included a very crudely assembled 7.2 surround sound system that served to confuse the arriving performers more than excite them. Spacemap Go would have been a godsend at that event.
An excellent example of Spacemap Go’s unique abilities outside of music events and traditional spaces was the “Primal Energies” exhibit at the Kunsthaus Graz modern art museum in Graz, Austria in mid-2020. Via a Spacemap Go system and 64 Meyer loudspeakers, sound artist Bill Fontana’s installation effectively immersed visitors to this unique space in both audio and time/space-aligned visual images on eight video screens. “We used Spacemap Go extensively,” says Fontana. “It let me do everything. Working directly with Galaxy makes it far more cost-effective, particularly if you are planning something like a permanent installation in a museum or architectural setting. We wanted to create a kind of sonic choreography through the space, and Spacemap Go was the ideal tool to make that happen.”
The Bottom Line
The system is a no-brainer for any sound company or installation that already has one (or more) Meyer Galaxy Galileo processors in its inventory. The only proprietary part of the system is the Galaxy. So, if you’re already using them, the Spacemap Go system is a rare gift, a lucrative new billable line-item at absolutely zero cost. If your company or venue wishes to add immersive sound capabilities to your available services and you don’t already own a Galaxy, Spacemap Go is probably still for you. You won’t find a less expensive pro option; it’s easy to operate; and the stability, reliability and compatibility of the platform is rock-solid. And on a personal note, the system just feels good — it’s fully mature, it’s well thought-out, and it’s a downright blast to use.
Check It Out
Meyer Sound dealers and distributors are hosting Spacemap Go demos in major cities, in limited capacities and in alignment with local COVID-19 guidelines. These include Center Staging in Los Angeles, Soundcheck Nashville and Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Demos are also currently available in various locations across Europe, Mexico, South America, Asia, Oceania and more by appointment. To attend a Spacemap Go demo, visit meyersound.com.
Vaughn Skow is a diversified Nashville audio and music guy who has been awarded lots of little statuettes and plaques that he tries really hard not to brag about.
