Our company philosophy is to bring the latest AV technologies to Slovakia and, through them, create unforgettable events for our clients. At the same time, we aim to provide information about projects and technologies that are radically changing and shaping this industry segment.
When we first learned about the upcoming MSG Sphere project in Las Vegas seven years ago, we immediately sensed that it would be a "game changer" in the event industry. This year, Las Vegas witnessed the lighting up of the world’s largest continuous LED screen. On the outside, the massive spherical structure might seem like just another ordinary building in a modern city. But everything changes the moment you light up 1.2 million LED "pods" to create a huge LED screen with high brightness, capable of competing with the intensity of daylight. However, the most important things are happening inside this building.
The building
The MSG Sphere is a project by James L. Dolan, CEO of Madison Square Garden Entertainment. His dream was to create a completely new experience for large-capacity event spaces. The key element of his vision is the use of an LED screen. When we in Slovakia began actively implementing LED screens into events at the turn of the millennium, we realized their irreplaceable advantages over video projectors, and most importantly, their potential for the future with progressively increasing image resolution.
The Sphere is the largest spherical building in the world, with a diameter of 157 meters and a height of 112 meters. Inside this sphere, there is a full-scale event space for 17,600 seated spectators, 10,000 of which are fully equipped with a haptic system for an even more immersive experience. Inside the Sphere, there are 9 floors, with a VIP club on the ground level. In addition to seating in the auditorium, you can rent 23 exclusive boxes that offer a perfect view of the stage while providing maximum privacy and luxury. The total cost of realizing the entire project ultimately reached 2.3 billion USD, while the initial estimates were 1.6 billion USD.
Sound
For perfect sound, 1,600 speaker units were installed in this space. We could have expected the use of speakers from some of the world’s leading brands like JBL, Meyer Sound, or L’Acoustics, but that’s not the case. The sound designers chose the brand Holoplot, a pioneer in what is known as **multi-array sound propagation technology.**
What is this technology? The speaker units from Holoplot contain up to 90 small speakers. Each of these speakers has its own amplifier and DSP processor. This technology not only allows for even coverage of the auditorium but also enables the creation of different sound fields. Thanks to this, the audience can experience perfect 3D sound, such as the sound of an airplane flying overhead or a gust of wind, which can feel absolutely real.
The MSG Sphere contains a total of 167,000 speakers, each with its own amplifier and DSP processor, offering unlimited possibilities for sound engineers and music producers. We hope that in the near future, the brand will expand to Europe, and we will have the chance to experience this sound firsthand.
Video
What makes the MSG Sphere truly exceptional is the world’s largest continuous LED screen with the highest resolution. This screen covers an area of 15,000 m² and nearly surrounds the entire seating area. Is it at least 4K resolution? Yes, and much more. The screen contains 16,000 x 16,000 pixels, which presents a huge challenge for video creators. The first director to take on this challenge is Darren Aronofsky, who created the stunning film Postcard from Earth. The second project currently running at MSG Sphere is a live concert by the world-renowned band U2. The show, called UV Achtung Baby, is spearheaded by video pioneer Willie Williams, who has been working with the band since the 1990s.
In addition, Sphere has partnered with the giant DreamWorks (Shrek, Nemo, etc.) and created its own spaces for image processing production, Sphere Studios. A new camera with an optical system was also developed, as there was no existing equipment capable of capturing footage for such a high resolution. The camera is named Big Sky, with a resolution of 316 megapixels at 120 frames per second.
Conclusion
What is the future? An important milestone for this new-level space will be the return on investment and visitor interest. So far, it looks like success, with plans already underway for another project in London. Perhaps in 10 years, the spherical event space format, filled with LED screens, will become the standard in the AV industry. We are glad that in this century, we can once again be a part of bringing revolutionary technological projects to life.
Tomáš Forgáč – Executive Director
