FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – As Oasis of the Seas sailed out of a Finnish shipyard, the flagship of Royal Caribbean International went straight into the record books as the largest and most expensive passenger vessel ever built-weighing more than 225,000 gross registered tons and costing $1.5 billion.
Oasis of the Seas also sets a new record for the largest ocean-going Meyer Sound systems. Three complex Matrix3 audio show control systems are installed, along with a total of 268 loudspeakers that include Meyer Sound's most compact subwoofer, custom designed to meet the stringent space requirements on the cruise ship.
Responsibility for the detailed design, integration and installation of the AV systems was contracted to FUNA International. "This was like building a full-scale Las Vegas hotel-casino or themed resort inside a ship," said Derek Warner, FUNA's senior project manager for Oasis of the Seas. "Everything had to be compact and efficient, and Meyer Sound's self-powered loudspeakers enabled us to eliminate amplifier rooms and reduce electrical consumption-both critically important. We've been specifying more Meyer Sound on cruise liners over the past eight years, and with consistent success."
Fifteen different Meyer Sound models are installed in more than two dozen systems, with each system comprising from two to 55 loudspeakers. For example, 16 M'elodie line array speakers are the system keystones for the opulent 1,380-seat Opal Theater, where a production of the Broadway hit Hairspray rotates with two other elaborate musical productions. The theater's system also includes 700-HP and 600-HP subwoofers and five other Meyer Sound loudspeaker models for various fill and foldback subsystems.
Other Meyer Sound systems enliven everything from hip-hop to jazz and ice-rink extravaganzas. The Blaze nightclub pulsates with sounds from six UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers, assisted by 600-HP and M1D-Sub subwoofers. The Jazz on 4 venue swings with the UPA-1P, while the 775-seat Studio B ice rink relies on M1D line arrays supplemented by distributed rings of UPA-1P and UPJ-1P loudspeakers.
The largest single space in the ship is the Royal Promenade, an open boulevard more than 100 meters long incorporating 11 bars, cafés and nightclubs. Situated under a soaring vault, the promenade is covered by 42 UPA-1P loudspeakers concealed in dual overhead beams. To provide low-end support for the "Disco Inferno Street Party" and other events, 13 ultracompact self-powered subwoofers are deployed. Custom designed for the Oasis of the Seas project and since released by Meyer Sound as the MM-10, the subwoofers are cleverly concealed inside the lampposts in response to an idea from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines' director of entertainment technology and technical design, Christopher Vlassopulos.
"We built the world's largest cruise liner, but first Meyer Sound had to build their smallest subwoofer," said Vlassopulos.
Meyer Sound Matrix3 furnishes sound in all three premier venues-Opal Theatre, Studio B and AquaTheater. Each is equipped with Wild Tracks hard disk playback and CueMixer control surface.
Additional Meyer Sound-equipped venues include Boleros (UPM-1P), Comedy Live (UPJ-1P), Dazzles (UPA-2P), On-Air Club (UPJ-1P), the pool deck (MM-4) and teen areas (UPM-1P).
Audio design concepts for most of the environments on Oasis of the Seas are a collaboration between FUNA and Christopher Vlassopulos' team. Audio system designs for the Opal Theatre and AquaTheatre were handled by Jaffe Holden Acoustics of Norwalk, Conn.
Oasis of the Seas' sole claim on records for cruise liner size and amenities will have to be shared in the fall of 2010 when Royal Caribbean International launches her sister ship, Allure of the Seas, also featuring Meyer Sound systems.
For more information, please visit www.meyersound.com.
