What Is Spatial Audio? Stepping Inside the Sound
Testing the d&b Soundscape setup at TOM, 2024. Photo by Thomas Buckley.
We’re excited to usher in a new era at The Old Market with spatial audio, a technology that transforms listening from a simple left‑right speaker experience into a full 360° sonic world.
But what exactly is spatial audio, and how does it differ from regular ‘surround sound’ experiences?
Spatial audio isn’t just about distributing sounds across multiple speakers. It’s about immersion.
How It Works
At the heart of our spatial audio experiences is d&b Soundscape technology, a state-of-the-art system that uses an array of precisely positioned speakers around our In The Box environment. With spatial sound, individual "sound objects", which include voices, instruments and ambient sounds, are placed, moved and layered across a three-dimensional space. Setting them up so that they smoothly travel around, above and even seemingly through you. This isn’t a trick of volume; it’s a careful orchestration of timing and positioning, creating the uncanny sense that you’re inside the performance rather than simply hearing it from the front.
Record Box: 360 Listening Sessions – Where Spatial Audio Meets Iconic Albums
Our Record Box series invites you to experience albums, poetry, and other sound works in a completely new light - or should we say, dimension. Each session is a curated auditory journey, where you can literally sink into the music - on beanbags or chairs - and let the arrangement surround you.
Running from the 10 to 14 of September 2025, we’ll present a varied programme that includes:
In The Box: Surround Yourself with Sound and Vision
Record Box events are powered by our exclusive In The Box programme, conceived right here at The Old Market.
In The Box transforms performances by surrounding you, not just with sound, but with breathtaking visuals too. Every wall becomes part of the art, and every moment envelops your senses. The effect? You don’t just witness the performance, you feel a part of it.
Come and experience it
We invite you to join us this September for Record Box: 360 Listening Sessions, running from 10 to 14 September 2025 in our immersive In The Box space. Rediscover the albums you thought you knew and embrace new music, or even some poetry.