Powersoft, the Italian amplifier specialist, helped to immerse guests in the dramatic soundtrack of the Jumanji: The Adventure attraction at Gardaland in Italy, thanks to a 96-channel audio system powered by 18 Powersoft Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D amplifiers.
A multi-sensory dark ride, Jumanji: The Adventure takes visitors through twelve distinct landscapes where they encounter venomous spiders, tumbling ruins, a swamp teeming with hippos, and a massive animatronic stone giant. Multi-motion off-road vehicles, like those in the film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, transport riders through the jungle. A variety of advanced visual technologies, including projection mapping, holography, and immersive spatial audio, enhance the riders’ experience.
“Jumanji: The Adventure is one of a new kind of attraction here at Gardaland,” says Alberto Lorenzin, technical office manager for Gardaland. “In terms of the visitor experience, it’s quite unique – and the state-of-the-art audio and video are at the core of that.”
Bringing the vision to life
Bentin Projects, a specialised integrator, was entrusted by Gardaland to design and implement the technical infrastructure for the €20 million attraction, which is the first based on the Jumanji film franchise. The company’s task was to use technology to realise the ride’s creators’ vision.
Bernhard Blank, a system designer with German-based Bentin, explains the process: “With attractions like this you start with something called a theme book, which contains scene-by-scene information, like in a comic book, from the designer of the attraction. You then need to look closely to figure out what materials and technology are needed to tell the story the designer had in mind.”
In particular, audio is essential for drawing players into the exciting universe that Jumanji: The Adventure creates, says Blank: “To get a fully immersive experience you need to be able to place the speakers in the right place in the scenery. Having those speakers hidden from guests and delivering audio from all angles is key to creating the correct atmosphere.”
When choosing audio equipment, Gardaland also had to consider reliability in light of the anticipated popularity of the Jumanji attraction, adds Lorenzin: “We have nearly 1,000 people an hour going through this attraction for more than 200 days a year, so reliability was essential.”
The Bentin team specified 18 Powersoft Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D in order to meet Lorenzin’s requirements for dependability as well as the power and flexibility required for the 96 channels of audio that make up the soundtrack to the ride through the jungle.
The ideal partner
According to Blank, the Quattrocanali 2404 was the perfect partner for the Gardaland installation, providing 2,400W of power across four channels that were optimised utilising Powersoft’s unique Smart Rail Management technology:
“We have used them in many attractions in the past and I’ve been very, very happy with this kind of amplifier,” says Blank, who also praises the Dante (AES67) networking capabilities offered by the DSP+D version of the Quattrocanali 2404. “With AES67, when the network is properly managed you won’t have any issues. It should last ten years without any problems.”
The Powersoft amplifiers are matched with a Q-SYS Core CPU. An Alcorn McBride V4X show controller and a Pharos lighting controller complete the audio system.
Bentin Projects’ founder and CEO, Benedikt Koch, says he had high expectations for the Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D, given his previous work with Powersoft products. “We chose Powersoft amplifiers because of the good experiences we’ve had in the past…the size and power delivered by the amplifiers is perfect for the audio demands of Jumanji: The Adventure.”
When it comes to reliability, Koch adds: “This whole system has worked for a year already with no issues, no failure, no mistakes – nothing. We are very proud of this. Part of this is the very good work of our programmers – and part of it is the reliable equipment we chose to use. We are very happy with the Powersoft amplifiers.”
Powersoft recently announced that it has collaborated with Sphere Entertainment Co. to provide its Mover immersive haptic technology as well as cutting-edge amplifier solutions for the Sphere entertainment medium in Las Vegas. The firm will be showcasing Mover at IAAPA Expo Orlando, with dedicated demonstrations of Mover at booth #662.
