Dynamic surround soundtrack for John Martin Apocalypse exhibition
The apocalyptic early Victorian art of John Martin, depicting biblical catastrophes in vast panoramas, has been dramatically brought to life at the Tate Britain — with help from JBL Control 1 loudspeakers.
In curating the exhibition, which runs until January 15, 2012, Martin Myrone and Anna Austen wanted to recreate the impact these paintings originally had when they toured Britain continuously in front of paying audiences in the mid-19th century. In more recent times, Martin’s vivid landscapes have provided the inspiration for major movies, science fiction video games, manga comics and album art.
“These paintings were the blockbusters of their time,” says Dan Crompton, the Tate’s Audio Visual Service Manager, who oversaw the technical installation.
Martin's final project was the completion of a triptych of paintings on the theme of the end of the world (shown in the Tate’s Room 5) — entitled The Great Day of his Wrath, The Last Judgment and The Plains of Heaven — and it is for this grand theatre-style finale that an extra dimension has been created in the form of an immersive 11-minute-long audio visual show run on a show loop, using 14 JBL Control 1 loudspeakers and three overhead projectors.
Crompton confirms that the loudspeakers were selected for their sonic qualities and ability to reproduce a range of sound sources, including effects, music, narrative and historical documentation taken from original scripts, in 8-channel surround.
“We wanted discreet multiple speakers around the space to fly the sound around the room — and although we were on a tight budget we didn’t go for the cheapest option. We knew from experience that the Control 1’s were good speakers but just as importantly we know the characteristics of the box. They are punchy and able to overcome the main challenges of intelligibility and clarity by taming the high reverberation time of the room.”
By “we” Dan Crompton is referring to the sound team responsible for this unique soundtrack.
Approached by the curators to ask how the atmosphere might be enhanced with a son et lumière, Crompton first discussed how this could be implemented with the Tate’s technical integrator Dominic Robson. They in turn commissioned theatre collective, Uninvited Guests, whose Lewis Gibson produced the soundtrack and also suggested the multi-channel playback.
The show is triggered from a Mac running QLab multimedia playback software and the Control 1s are sensitively wall-mounted behind the audience and low down near the pictures themselves, with a rubber buffer behind the mount offering additional protection.
“The sound is the essence of the piece,” declares Dan Crompton. “The combination of sound effects and music are carefully matched around the eight channel immersive space and JBL was a major part of the inspiration.”
Supplied by Peter Brotzman’s Crystal Pro Audio, whom Dan Crompton says he “cannot praise highly enough”, the 150W Control 1 is one of the most versatile small monitors available. The 130mm bass driver delivers the long throw while the 20mm tweeter features a polycarbon dome for maximum dispersion angle.
Dan Crompton said this coverage pattern, along with the aesthetics, were other key elements of the decision making, since the architect wanted to ensure the loudspeakers were sympathetic to the room.
In summary. The AV specialist said, “I have worked with JBL extensively throughout my career and have encountered most challenges in art galleries — however manipulating Victorian oil paintings in such a way is something entirely new.”
All Harman Pro products are distributed in the UK and Eire by Sound Technology Ltd.
For more information please call Sound Technology Ltd on 01462 480000 or visit www.soundtech.co.uk/jbl
