Videogame Magic of Mass Effect Captured by Electrosonic in Theme Park Ride

Electrosonic’s 4D installation plays off an existing 60-foot 4K screen, adds intense surround sound to immerse guests in a popular video game-based ride.

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After taking a wild, four-and-a-half minute ride on Electrosonic’s theme park installation, gamers got to experience the massively-popular sci-fi video game, Mass Effect, in ways they hadn’t previously thought possible. “Mass Effect: New Earth, A 4D Holographic Journey” at California’s Great America was designed by 3D Live and Cedar Fair. Electrosonic installed a full-range audio system and handled its video playback and show control systems.

Guests are fully immersed in the 80-seat Action Theater with 3D Live’s 60-foot, 4K LED screen and an 80-channel surround sound system. An actor playing one of the game’s characters captains the audience’s ship, which travels alongside the main starship, Normandy, through a mass relay to the planet Terra Nova.

Wearing passive 3D glasses, they sit in MediaMation motion seats outfitted with leg pokers and neck ticklers, as well as wind, water, smell and vibration effects.

Electronsic’s Mass Effect Ride

3D Live’s founder said it hired Electrosonic because of the company’s experience with turn-keying rides and a proven ability to budget for a project of such scope. Chief among Electrosonic’s tasks was installing a full-range audio system with a QSC Q-SYS Core and QSC speakers providing the required surround sound control. The Q-SYS installation plays over 80 channels of audio synchronized with video, while over 70 QSC speakers fill the Action Theater, exit way, and queue.

A 7th Sense Delta Infinity II server supports 3D Live’s content, media processors and proprietary 3D LED screen, and an additional input card enables the server to be adapted to another source, such as a PC for a PowerPoint presentation in the theater space.

Electrosonic, Mass Effect

Paying close homage to the intense, futuristic world which the ride embodies, Electrosonic provides an almost-4D sound by installing over 20 4-channel RDL distribution amplifiers connected to 85 custom mini-array nearfield railing speakers.

A Medialon Showmaster control system offers master operational and maintenance control of the audio, video, effects, motion seats, power doors and lighting SSCs. Touchscreen operator panels control the ride’s daily operations, while touchscreen tablet control is also available for maintenance and system checks anywhere in the Action Theater.

Paying close homage to the intense, futuristic world which the ride embodies, Electrosonic provides an almost-4D sound by installing over 204-channel RDL distribution amplifiers connected to 85 custom mini-array near field railing speakers. A Shure wireless mic for the live actor was also installed.

The company reports that the only true roadblock came in the form of retrofitting a former motion-based theater for all of the vendors involved. The final, front-line hang of speakers, center cluster, and subwoofers required very particular adjustments.

Officials at 3D Live report “Mass Effect: New Earth” received great reviews and was completed for a fraction of the cost of other big-name attractions.

Electronsonic Equipment Highlights

QSC Speakers

Medialon Showmaster LE, Embedded Show Controller

QSC Media Playback

QSC Q-Sys

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