King Crimson Immersive Listening Event

Audio: Listen to this article.

I hope everyone has started 2023 on the right track, and is looking forward to a fantastic rest of the year. I couldn't be more excited about both high quality stereo and immersive audio. What a time to be alive for those of us who care about quality and music!

I was just notified that Pitch Black Playback, is putting on an event titled "King Crimson 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' (presented in spatial audio) album listening session." The event is one January 12, 2023 at L-Acoustics Creations, Westlake Village, Los Angeles, California. Based on the following description, I really wish I was going to this.

Hear this groundbreaking 1969 classic like never before with no distractions in full spatial audio thanks to L-ACOUSTICS' cutting-edge L-ISA technology—plus an exclusive recorded audio intro from Robert Fripp.

LATECOMERS WILL NOT BE ADMITTED. Please arrive by event start time to avoid being refused entry.

This is an album listening session, not a live performance of any kind. You will hear the Dolby Atmos mix of the album in master audio resolution with no distractions on an immersive sound system. The event will take place in L-Acoustics Creations immersive sound space in Westlake Village, CA. L-Acoustics Creations is a division of L-Acoustics, the leader in premium sound systems and immersive technologies for live events. You can hear L-Acoustics systems in action at iconic music venues and festivals such as The Troubadour, The Hollywood Bowl, The YouTube Theater, and Coachella. The Westlake Village room is equipped with a 360° ultra-high resolution sound system in 18.1 to fully immerse listeners in the music.

If anyone inn the area can make it, I'd love to hear how it went. Here's a link to purchase $19 tickets - LINK

HiFi Events

I would absolutely love to see HiFi dealers get involved in events like this. I rave about my 12 channel Wilson system all the time, but almost nobody gets to hear it. Music lovers really need to hear what's possible with immersive audio, and this is a great way to do it. 

Perhaps a few manufacturers and a dealer can put on such a demonstration at AXPONA or Munich High End, but that's a huge ask. Putting together a system like this, only to tear it down after one weekend, is a bridge too far in my opinion. But, I'd welcome it with open arms. A better scenario is obviously in a dealer showroom that's properly setup and calibrated. If my system wasn't in my house, I'd seriously open it up to anyone who wanted to listen. I believe in immersive audio that much.

I remember doing computer audio events in the US and Europe, when it was new and people were just dipping their toes into this new digital playback water. I'd love to do immersive audio events next!