When Andrea Bocelli’s production team discovered they could deploy a sophisticated 7.1 spatial audio system faster than a standard stereo configuration, they knew they had found something revolutionary. This efficiency, combined with L-Acoustics L-ISA Hyperreal Sound technology’s ability to create intimate concert experiences in vast arenas, transformed the beloved tenor’s recent UK tour, culminating in a spectacular performance at London’s O2 Arena.
“It was actually faster to load in an L Series 7.1 configuration than a standard line array stereo setup,” revealed Davide Lombardi, Bocelli’s front-of-house engineer. This efficiency breakthrough, delivered through the new L-Acoustics L Series and provided by Certified Partner Britannia Row Productions, a Clair Global company, shattered preconceptions about spatial audio deployment while creating genuine intimacy in arena-scale venues.
The tour featured Bocelli himself, accompanied by a 69-piece orchestra and 60-voice choir, plus special guests which varied each night. Having over 120 performers with approximately 100 open microphones onstage created a complex sonic landscape that demanded both precision and clarity.
The decision to implement L-ISA technology stemmed from a successful collaboration with Fotis Sound’s L-ISA Sound Engineer Jerzy Kubiak and System Engineer Alessandro Cestaro who had previously deployed the immersive audio platform for Bocelli’s performances in Poland. That experience proved transformative for the entire creative team, demonstrating the full potential of spatial audio technology for classical performances in challenging venues.
The transformation from stereo to immersive was so profound that during Dublin rehearsals, Bocelli himself ventured into the audience area to experience what his fans were hearing. “He was almost envious,” Lombardi recalled. “He said, ‘I wish I could hear what they’re hearing on stage.’ That moment validated everything we were trying to achieve.”
This reaction came from experiencing how effectively L-ISA technology handled the production’s complexity. The spatial separation achieved through the 7.1 configuration provided clarity and localisation, maintaining the delicate balance between Bocelli’s voice and the full orchestral arrangement even in the challenging acoustic environment of a 20,000-seat arena.
For the O2 Arena, Brit Row deployed a comprehensive L-ISA configuration featuring nearly 100 speakers and 40 amplified controllers in a 7.1 spatial configuration, designed by Systems Engineer Alessandro Cestaro. The setup included a Scene System of five hangs of L2 and L2D, with two further L2/L2D L/R Extension hangs per side. Two hangs of KS28 subwoofers were centrally flown. Onstage, X8 provided spatial front-fill while KS21 subwoofers were ground-stacked in front of the stage. Side-fill to the 270° seating areas were covered by flown side hangs of L2 and L2D and ground-stacks of KS21 subwoofers in cardioid, topped by A10 Wide and Focus. The entire system was powered by LA7.16 and LA12X amplified controllers.
The L2 system’s cardioid design proved crucial in challenging arena acoustics. “L2 provides extremely precise high-frequency control, allowing us to direct sound exactly where needed,” explains Lombardi. “The inherent cardioid pattern minimizes stage bleed, giving performers better monitoring while maintaining pristine front-of-house sound.”
The L2 system’s cardioid design proved crucial in challenging arena acoustics. “L2 provides extremely precise high-frequency control, allowing us to direct sound exactly where needed,” explained Lombardi. “The inherent cardioid pattern minimizes stage bleed, giving performers better monitoring while maintaining pristine front-of-house sound.”
The L-ISA configuration’s success lies in its sophisticated object-based mixing capabilities, controlled through the L-ISA Processor and Controller software. This allowed Lombardi to maintain precise dynamic control across the entire 100-speaker system while preserving the natural acoustic relationships between performers – a critical requirement for classical repertoire where artificial enhancement would be immediately apparent to discerning audiences.
“My ultimate goal is transparency,” Lombardi emphasised. “I want audiences to forget they’re in a 20,000-seat arena and feel they’re in an intimate theatre, actively participating rather than passively observing.”
“What makes Bocelli truly extraordinary is his incredible attention to detail combined with genuine humility,” Lombardi reflected. “When an artist of his caliber turns to you after experiencing L-ISA and says, ‘This is what music should sound like,’ you know you’ve created something special—something that serves both the art and the audience in equal measure.”
