The ship's audio system, covering everything from background music, acrobatic, musical and comedic entertainment, is handled by 29 Soundweb London BLU-800 and 21 BLU-120 devices, with BLU-10 programmable touch screen remotes for local control outfitted throughout the ship as well.
"As BSS Audio signal processors have continued to become more advanced in their ability to provide comprehensive system networking and control, we have been able to use them in more complex and larger applications," stated Derek Warner, senior project manager, FUNA, International. "The Soundweb London platform provided us with a quality product, which was very user-friendly for our programmers. Collectively, we were able to pre-program and test our system prior to installation; a big help as our time for onsite programming can be very limited."
The cruise liner contains four major theatres, each requiring a vast and greatly detailed sound installation. The ship's Aqua theatre, which hosts a variety of performances, is an outdoor venue that stretches across the entire width of the ship. Warner's mission was to ensure the sound emanating from the stage is perfectly heard, while battling the ambient noise such as wind, engines, waves and thousands of excited guests.
During the nearly two-year construction time of the world's largest water vessel, the FUNA sound team was on duty for approximately six months to fine-tune the project. "With such a large install, we needed an experienced team to ensure our systems were properly handled and programmed," continued Warner. "This is the fourth ship we've built out of Finland, using Soundweb London almost exclusively for DSP."
(Jim Evans)
