A Brief History of Immersive Sound Systems

From Pink Floyd's quadraphonic PA system and Jean-Michel Jarre's 5.1 surround sound performance in China, to Kraftwerk's fully immersive tour -- here's how pioneers paved the way for immersive concerts.

Pink Floyd and the Advent of Quadraphonic Sound

Let's start with Pink Floyd, one of the earliest bands to realize the potential of sound beyond stereo. Their quadraphonic PA system, deployed as early as 1967, was revolutionary for its time. Quadraphonic sound essentially means audio is projected from four different speakers placed around the audience, creating an immersive environment.

For Pink Floyd, quadraphonic sound wasn't a gimmick but an essential part of their live shows. They used it to immerse their audiences in the music, spatially dispersing sounds to create an experience that was as visual as it was auditory. The Dark Side of the Moon tour in 1973 brought this technology into full force.

During their performance of the song "On the Run," synthesizer sounds would seem to move around the audience, bouncing from speaker to speaker in real-time. It wasn't just music -- it was an experience. Audiences weren't just passive listeners; they were engulfed in sound from all directions, and this was a precursor to the fully immersive sound experiences of today.

Larry Levan and the Sound System at the Paradise Garage

Not so long after that, in the late 70's in New York City, legendary DJ Larry Levan was also making a sensation for being one of the few musicians to create a proper experience. He wasn't merely playing music. He was telling a story, and he used more than vinyl records: he was known for personally controlling the club's lights during his sets to build drama, enhance emotional highs, and create visual narratives that completed the storytelling of the music.

Levan worked closely with Richard Long, a sound engineer who designed some of the best nightclub sound systems of the era, including the famous "Richard Long & Associates (RLA) system" installed at the Paradise Garage. The club's sound system was custom-built to deliver unparalleled sonic quality and immersive experiences for the dancers.

The RLA system was not quadraphonic or 5.1 surround sound, but it was immersive in its intensity and clarity. Levan was known for his ability to manipulate this sound system to create an enveloping, almost spiritual atmosphere. Once again, he wasn't just playing records -- he was sculpting sound. He used volume, bass frequencies, and delay or reverb to create an immersive auditory experience that felt physical. Dancers would often speak of "feeling" the music as much as they were hearing it.

The technology wasn't there yet; he never had the chance to experiment with it. But can you imagine what he could have done with it?

Jean-Michel Jarre: Expanding the Soundfield in Surround

Fast forward to the year 2004, when French electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre performed his "Aero" concert in Beijing, China. He flew over a ton of equipment and create a 5.1 surround sound system.

In Jarre's case, the 5.1 setup was crucial for his music. His compositions are rich in texture, often layered with atmospheric soundscapes that benefit immensely from spatial separation. During the Beijing concert, the sound moved seamlessly around the audience, creating an almost cinematic experience. Each listener was, in effect, placed in the center of the music, surrounded by rich, intricate sounds that flowed naturally from one side to another. It wasn't just about amplifying the music; it was about enveloping the audience in sound.

This approach of treating space as an element of composition represents a major shift in the mindset of music production. Jarre didn't just treat sound as something that comes at you from the stage; he saw it as an environment in which the listener is situated. The 5.1 system was not just an upgrade in fidelity but in philosophy --it was about breaking the boundaries between the audience and the artist.

"La technologie dicte les styles" -- Jean-Michel Jarre

And he's continuing to pave the way for a new generation of composers and producers, showing them how to make music with new immersive audio formats like Dolby Atmos in mind. His 22nd studio album, OXYMORE, was conceived and composed in multichannel and binaural sound.

He recently played multiple immersive live shows using SPAT Revolution or L-Acoustics L-ISA.

Kraftwerk and d&b Soundscape

More recently, Kraftwerk, the German electronic music group that has been at the forefront of sonic experimentation since the 1970s, took immersive sound to another level with the use of the d&b Soundscape system.

It's a spatial audio system that goes beyond traditional stereo or surround sound configurations. Using advanced processing algorithms, Soundscape can manipulate sound in real-time to create an immersive audio environment where sound moves freely across the space. It can place sounds in three-dimensional space with pinpoint accuracy.

For Kraftwerk, a band synonymous with innovation, Soundscape was a natural fit. They also remixed their live performances to Dolby Atmos and it's one of the greatest spatial audio experience you can live!

The Future of Immersive Sound in Live Music Events

What Pink Floyd began with quadraphonic sound has now evolved into a full-blown revolution in live audio. Immersive sound systems, like L-Acoustics L-ISA or d&b Soundscape, are no longer niche experiments. They are rapidly becoming the standard for artists who want to push the boundaries of what live music can be. As the technology continues to improve, we can expect even more detailed and nuanced soundscapes, allowing for an even deeper level of immersion.

In the end, immersive sound technology isn't just about making concerts sound better. It's about fundamentally changing the relationship between the performer and the audience. It's about making music not just something you hear, but something you experience.