The attraction only lacked some spectacular audio FX during those 28 seconds, and with that in mind Wouter Verhulst, technical director for the Plopsaland theme parks, contacted Ampco Belgium's sales manager Steven Kemland. Together with sound designer/producer and engineer Geert De Wit, they designed a surround set-up using 16 Martin Audio AQ5s fixed in four rings around the lift shaft. The eight-channel discrete 'soundscape', including thunderstorms and cracking wood, was programmed on the spot via a MOTU HD recording setup and Timax Imagemaker.
Because the sound had to be retained inside the tunnel Steven Kemland opted for the compact dimensions of the AQ5's. Another physical challenge was presented by being unable to use subs in the lift shaft. For solving this problem Kemland and De Wit created a virtual sub bass by using the XLNT Bass Creator, which produces harmonic equivalents of bass frequencies but without the air movement normally involved with this frequency range. "The AQ5s sounded like AQ12s with a sub," notes the Ampco man, "very impressive indeed."
After programming the soundscape everything was transfered to four synchronised Roland AR200 playback units which can easily be triggered through contact-closure pulses. Inside the lift shaft the impression now is of sitting in a boat that's sinking in a heavy storm at sea. Kemland explains: "To get the timing right for the sound effects it was crucial that we checked it on the spot, in the boat; on top of that we had only one night to programme the whole ride, and we had to take the boat ride 50 or 60 times. Everyone was soaking wet, but it was more than worth it."
(Lee Baldock)
