Auditoria has returned to The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo for a fourth consecutive year as Sound Designers, supporting the 2026 production, A Call to Gather, on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.
Working closely with Creative Director Alan Lane, Musical Director Nick Grace, Composer and ArrangerTom Hodge and the wider Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo team from the earliest stages of development, Auditoria once again led the design of the loudspeaker, audio control and show control systems, while also delivering music editing and technical support throughout pre-production, rehearsals and the live performances.
One of the most significant changes for 2026 was the introduction of an elevated stage orchestra positioned in front of the Castle Gatehouse. While the new arrangement brought the orchestra into view of the audience, it also created a new acoustic challenge. Ahead of rehearsals, Auditoria carried out an acoustic study to understand how the orchestra would interact with the wider sound system, helping to inform the treatment of the orchestra enclosure and ensuring the reinforced audio remained natural throughout the Esplanade.
The production also marked an important step forward in the show’s control systems. Front of House was upgraded to a DiGiCo Quantum 852, providing the input capacity needed for a production using more than 300 input channels. Auditoria also completed their first large-scale deployment of the Sennheiser Spectera Wireless Multichannel Audio System (WMAS), introducing a new approach to managing the show’s extensive wireless requirements.
With international military bands returning at different points throughout the performance, the production required more wireless channels than in previous years. Spectera provided the flexibility to support 128 wireless microphone channels while simplifying the RF infrastructure behind the scenes, reducing the complexity of managing a production of this scale and maintaining the reliability required for live performance.
Auditoria Consultant Joe Callister once again led the music editing for the production, supporting both the extensive pre-production process and rehearsals on site. Working closely with Musical Director Nick Grace and Composer and Arranger Tom Hodge, his preparation and understanding of the music requirements helped make the most of the limited rehearsal time available on the Esplanade and continued to develop the collaboration between sound and music with a marked impact on the sound of the show.
For Sound Designer Ethan Curry, the continued collaboration between the creative, musical and technical teams has become one of the defining strengths of the project.
“There’s a genuinely positive and creative energy from Alan which runs through the entire Tattoo team,” he said. “It makes everyone feel part of the same production, and it’s a pleasure to contribute to a show that continues to evolve every year,” he said. “Having made some significant changes during our first year, the focus since then has been on refining the experience for both the audience and the performers,” Curry continued. “There’s never been a sense of standing still; there’s always another development to make, and the Tattoo team are always supportive and keen to keep the show at the forefront of what’s possible.”
Now in its fourth year supporting The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the partnership between Auditoria and the Tattoo team continues to evolve. Each production presents new creative ideas and technical challenges, while the close collaboration between the creative, musical and technical teams allows the show to continue developing year after year.
