At China’s domed Dai Show Theatre, built exclusively for producer Franco Dragone’s
newest themed spectacle, the nightly displays of jaw-dropping aquatic acrobatics
are bolstered by immersive music and effects sonically choreographed through a
128-channel Meyer Sound D-Mitri® digital audio platform and reproduced by an
encircling array of 103 Meyer Sound loudspeakers.

The D-Mitri platform, working seamlessly with CueConsole™ control surfaces,
provides a complete and fully integrated solution for mixing, matrixing, multitrack
playback and show control. In addition, Meyer Sound’s innovative Space Map®
software allows dynamic panning of sounds around and across the two rings of
individually addressable, self-powered loudspeakers.

“Having D-Mitri integrated with Space Map definitely expanded my creative
options,’ says Corrado Campanelli, hand-picked by Dragone to design sound for the
production. “Working in the round, with two layers of surrounds, I could think in a
much more immersive way with all music and sound effects. With the press of a
button, the operator can dynamically move sounds three dimensionally around the
space, immersing spectators in the action.’

The sound system design was a collaborative effort, with the original proposal by
Colbert Davis of California’s Thinkwell Group specifying D-Mitri and most of the
loudspeakers. Due to changes in the building structure and the show’s musical
concepts, the loudspeaker and D-Mitri configurations were later augmented or
modified by Campanelli.

One visual concept central to the show was that the dome over the central pool
would be part of the visual effects, which in turn meant that the loudspeakers had
to be largely hidden. This presented challenges for covering a large-volume, 1,183-
seat venue.

“We could not have large line arrays hanging down in view, so instead we deployed
a main inner ring of ten UPA-1P loudspeakers as the main system, and a delay ring
of 23 UP-4XP loudspeakers under the surrounding soffit,’ Campanelli explains. “In
addition, we deployed two more rings with a total of 59 smaller loudspeakers for
the dynamic surround effects.’

With this configuration and Space Map in mind, Campanelli worked closely with Dai
Show composer Michael Brennan to leverage the possibilities.

The Meyer Sound house loudspeaker complement also included two UPQ-1P and two
UPM-1P loudspeakers; three UPJ-1P VariO™ loudspeakers; 19 UPJunior-XP VariO™
loudspeakers and 49 MM-4XP self-powered loudspeakers, both with IntelligentDC
technology; three 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements; two M1D-Sub
subwoofers; and a Galileo® loudspeaker management system with two Galileo 616
processors. The monitoring system utilized four UPJ-1XP loudspeakers and a
second CueConsole control surface connected to a 72-channel D-Mitri platform. All
systems were supplied by Shanghai Broad Future Electro Technology Co., Ltd. and
installed by Shenzhen Runze Lighting & Audio Technology Development Co.,Ltd.

The Dai Show Theatre was designed by renowned architect Mark Fisher of London-
based Stufish Entertainment Architects. The US-based firm of Auerbach Pollock
Friedlander was contracted to supply overall programming and planning services for
theatrical design.

The Dai Show Theatre is located at the Xishuangbanna International Resort in
Yunnan Province, a 16 square- kilometre development of the Wanda Group.