Our Story with David Attenborough is an immersive exhibition that promises to transport visitors on a journey through the evolution of planet Earth across 4.5 billion years. Narrated by national treasure, Sir David Attenborough, this epic tale of people and planet is produced by Open Planet, the award-winning filmmakers behind Attenborough’s landmark documentaries. Led by Bild Studios in the role of principal contractor and production management, the project united specialists from across the AV and production industry to bring the vision to life. Key collaborators included Raven AV for audio integration, Full Production for lighting design and integration, and Luke Halls Studio for video content design.
In addition to the impressive large-scale projection system, engineered and managed by Bild Studios, EM Acoustics loudspeakers were selected to power the soundtrack for the 50-minute experience, with composition and sound design from Nick Powell and Gareth Fry, respectively.
“We became involved early on in the ideation stage, when Bild Studios contacted us with a brief,” recalls Dan Roncoroni, Managing Director at Raven AV. “The scope was to design and install a spatial audio system. In my opinion, EM Acoustics’ Reference Series is one of the best out there for this. It offers exceptional value, quality and reliability when compared with competitor products.” With large parts of the content featuring the unmistakable voice of Sir David Attenborough, the clarity of sound achieved with an EM Acoustics system was also a significant advantage.
Housed in the Jerwood Gallery at London’s Natural History Museum, the experience plays in a continuous loop throughout the day. While its cathedral-like architecture offers a visually striking backdrop, the space posed notable acoustic challenges. “The reverberation in the room was intense,” confirms Roncoroni.
Rather than relying on large-scale acoustic treatment, Raven AV pursued a series of more subtle interventions to improve intelligibility and control reflections. “We deployed heavy draping across the room and even added details like pillows on the benches to absorb stray reflections,” he continues. “It wasn’t about one big win. It was about lots of small ones adding up.”
At the heart of the decision to use EM Acoustics was the brand’s flagship Reference Series. “From a point-source perspective, there’s really nothing that competes in terms of clarity, tonal consistency and value,” confirms Roncoroni. “Each box includes multiple horn options, which is incredibly useful, especially in a space like this where we’re working around difficult architecture. The tonal consistency across the entire EM Acoustics range also helped us a lot in adapting the mix and ensuring seamless transitions as sounds move across the space.”
A complete EM Acoustics system was specified for the project, with loudspeaker rental supplied by Autograph. The main system comprises 16 EMS-51X loudspeakers, recessed in the walls at ear-height behind acoustic panels, 12 R8 Reference Series loudspeakers concealed among the ceiling’s lighting and drapery infrastructure and 14 EMS-41 loudspeakers arranged in a vertical layer overhead for ambient and height-based spatial effects. Six S-18 subwoofers are suspended from trussing along the central axis of the gallery. The system is driven by a combination of Di06 and Di10 EM Acoustics amplifiers. Show control is handled by Q-SYS, whilst TiMax SoundHub powers the spatial audio processing.
To maintain the integrity of the video-led concept, the sound system also needed to be as visually discreet as possible. “You walk into the gallery and you can’t see a single loudspeaker, but it still sounds great,” says Roncoroni. “With EM Acoustics, we’ve created full 360° spatial audio without the audience being aware of how it’s done.”
For this spatial audio, the combination of EM Acoustics boxes and TiMax spatial audio solutions proved to be the perfect match. “We had quite ambitious goals for the spatial aspect,” Roncoroni explains. “There are over 50 loudspeakers in the space, and TiMax became a huge time saver. It auto-calculates all the delays and lets us sculpt the mix in a very intuitive way. We’ve done a lot of spatial audio projects with both EM Acoustics and TiMax, and together they form a really strong foundation.”
The team also appreciated the practical benefits of an EM Acoustics solution. “We weren’t sure at the start if we’d be using EM Acoustics amps, so we needed the system to be amplifier agnostic,” Roncoroni adds. “Also, knowing the products were readily available thanks to EM Acoustics’ excellent lead times made the process much smoother.”
Ease of deployment was another key advantage, especially for the integration specialists at Raven AV. “EM Acoustics kit is incredibly simple to work with,” says James Wilson, Director at Raven AV. “Everything about the build is user-friendly. Swapping waveguides is straightforward, and on-site adjustments are quick. It’s this level of flexibility that makes a big difference on fast-paced installs like this one.”
From a sustainability perspective, the choice of EM Acoustics further aligned with the ethos of Our Story. “Open Planet is telling a story about planet Earth,” he notes. “So the choice of EM Acoustics aligned perfectly with wider values of the project. EM Acoustics works with a single lumber yard for their wood, sources materials locally and manufactures everything here in the UK. This transparency and accountability meant a lot to Open Planet.”
As is often the case for ambitious projects, final mixing and tuning came right down to the wire. “We worked all the way up until the deadline to tweak the mix to align perfectly with the video experience,” says Roncoroni. “As the content evolved, the combination of EM Acoustics and the TiMax system allowed us to keep up.”
Despite the tight turnaround, the result has been a resounding success. Visitors regularly applaud at the end of the experience, a testament to the quality and thought-provoking themes covered by the installation. “The sound design and composition are key to the success of this project, as is the quality of the audio,” says Roncoroni. “It elevates the experience, and the soundtrack helps the content feel especially important.”
Our Story with David Attenborough is a masterclass in invisible but impactful audio integration. By leveraging the benefits of EM Acoustics’ loudspeaker design and TiMax’s powerful spatial audio processing, Raven AV helped create a moving and memorable experience that resonates across generations. “We love to come into these sorts of projects to provide spatial, 360°audio,” confirms Roncoroni. “For me as a system designer, it’s endlessly pleasing for people to walk into the room and not immediately know where the sound is coming from. That’s what EM Acoustics has helped us achieve on Our Story.”
Image credit: © Trustees of the Natural History Museum