Scotiabank Arena / Immersive Media Studio

OCTAV transformed a single room into a versatile immersive audio suite for in-house video production. The client needed one space to support multiple advanced workflows, selected from presets designed on a touch control interface, from spatial object mixing to 7.1 and stereo audio. Using SpaceMap Go and Galaxy processing, editors can pre-mix and record immersive content that plays back accurately in the arena’s newly installed immersive bowl audio system. OCTAV delivered full acoustic design and installation to maximize the playback and editing environment. Full AVB, Dante, AES, and analog I/O plus multitrack capture ensure seamless translation from studio to arena.

OCTAV worked closely with the team at Scotiabank Arena to fully understand their vision for a new, unique studio. From the start, we knew the room would be used by multiple editors, including audio, video, and content reviewers, which required designing a system with multiple presets recalled on a touch interface. The entire room reconfigures itself based on the selected preset, enabling immersive object-based mixing using a Meyer Sound 7.1 system with Galaxy processing and SpaceMap Go, mirroring the main arena’s Galaxy/Spacemap Go/Panther system. This allows editors to pre-record and mix immersive content that translates directly to the arena bowl during games. Other presets handle video editing, with five displays connected to a remote rack-mounted video machine for stereo mixing and playback, and yet others transform the room into multitrack recording from the bowl or live mixing of 200-level suites.

QSC DSP provides additional processing, control, and integration for wider room management across the building. The room manages format conversion between AVB, Dante, AES, and analog to support smooth transport and interoperability throughout the facility. Raven multi-touch DAW workflows were added to streamline complex editing and collaborative tasks with a user friendly workflow.

During installation, workflows were tested with the users, presets calibrated, and the interface optimized for clarity so anyone can switch between immersive, 7.1, or video-focused modes efficiently. The room handles multiple workflows, supports immersive mixing, and connects with the main arena and facility networks, allowing editors to focus on their work with confidence that mixes translate accurately for both arena playback and broadcast.

OCTAV focused on creating the highest-quality listening environment possible for the Scotiabank Arena studio. The existing room had poor acoustics, so we designed and installed a complete acoustic treatment plan to maximize clarity, balance, and fidelity, ensuring the loudspeaker system could perform at its best. This included tuned absorption panels to control low mid resonance, diffusion to maintain a natural room sound, and bass traps to manage low-frequency energy.

The acoustic design ensures that all mixes, whether immersive or traditional, are experienced in a room that supports accurate tonal balance, spatial clarity, and dynamic response. OCTAV delivered a controlled environment where the listening experience fully reflects the capabilities of the loudspeaker system, allowing editors and producers to make confident creative decisions.

It also provided a very impressive location to review content of immersive content for executives!

One major challenge was the existing windows. We worked with an architect to cover them in a way that prevented mold while preserving the room’s acoustic performance. Insulation was installed behind a vapor barrier with additional layers in front, creating a 12-inch absorptive cavity that targeted low frequencies behind the barrier and high frequencies in front.

Another challenge was fitting a wide range of functionality into a single space. The room needed to support multiple workflows, so we designed a flexible user interface that lets any user automatically reconfigure the room for the appropriate workflow. Client requests also evolved during the project, but by keeping the design flexible and scalable, the room could adapt as needed.

OCTAV should win this award because the Scotiabank Arena studio demonstrates a unique combination of technical excellence and practical, user-focused design. The project solved complex challenges, from creating a high-fidelity acoustic environment in a difficult existing space to integrating immersive audio systems that mirror the arena’s main bowl system. Multiple workflows including immersive mixing, 7.1 editing, video production, and multitrack capture, were all accommodated in a single room with an intuitive, flexible interface. By addressing evolving client needs and maximizing usability, OCTAV delivered a studio that sets a new benchmark for immersive audio and post-production environments within an arena context.