Our trip to the Sphere in Las Vegas, NV , 9-25-24
Sphere (also called Sphere at the Venetian Resort) is a music and entertainment arena in Paradise, Nevada, United States, east of the Las Vegas Strip. Designed by Populous, the project was announced by the Madison Square Garden Company in 2018, known then as the MSG Sphere. The 18,600-seat auditorium is being marketed for its immersive video and audio capabilities, which include a 16K resolution wraparound interior LED screen, speakers with beamforming and wave field synthesis technologies, and 4D physical effects. The venue's exterior also features 580,000 sq ft (54,000 m2) of LED displays. Sphere measures 366 feet (112 m) high and 516 feet (157 m) wide. The arena cost $2.3 billion, making it the most expensive entertainment venue built in Las Vegas.
Sphere opened on September 29, 2023.
Structure and seating
Sphere is 366 feet (112 m) high and 516 feet (157 m) wide at its broadest point. It is the largest spherical building in the world at 875,000 sq ft (81,300 m2). It includes seating for 18,600 people, and all seats have high-speed internet access. The venue can accommodate 20,000 people in standing capacity. Seating does not wrap around the entire sphere, instead covering approximately two-thirds of the interior while the stage takes up the remainder. Approximately 800 seats in the venue's premium, lower-level 100 section have obstructed views of the wraparound video screen due to the overhang of the second level. Sphere has nine levels, including the basement, where a VIP club is located. A total of 23 suites are included, across the third and fifth floors.
Video screens
The venue's exosphere is lit by approximately 1.23 million LED pucks, each with 48 diodes.
The venue is equipped with a 160,000-square-foot (15,000 m2) LED screen that wraps around the interior. It was designed and manufactured by SACO Technologies, a Canadian company based in Montreal specializing in LED video displays and lighting. With a 16,000 × 16,000 resolution, it is the highest-resolution LED screen in the world, according to Sphere Entertainment. In describing the number of pixels on screen, media sources have reported figures ranging from 189 to 254 million diodes to 268,435,456 pixels. The screen consists of 64,000 LED panels, each controlled by a printed circuit board housed in an aluminum frame, with the panels manufactured in 780 different geometric shapes with an edge-to-edge tolerance of 0.8 millimetres (0.031 in). Due to its curved shape and the propensity for pixels to disappear near the poles, the screen uses an adaptive pixel pitch. It was also designed to be acoustically transparent, allowing sound from the speakers mounted behind the screen to pass through.
The building's exosphere features a 580,000-square-foot (54,000 m2) LED display also designed by SACO Technologies; it was the world's largest at the time the venue opened. It comprises 1.23 million puck-shaped LEDs spaced 8 inches (20 cm) apart, each containing 48 diodes. Visuals displayed on the exosphere have included a Halloween jack-o'-lantern, a Christmas snow globe, and advertisements.
The internal and external displays of Sphere are powered by 150 RTX A6000 graphics processing units by Nvidia, each featuring more than 10,752 cores and 48 gigabytes of memory. Media is streamed from external sources via Nvidia BlueField data processing units and ConnectX-6 DX network interface controllers using Nvidia's Rivermax media streaming software.
Sound system
The venue's speaker system is based on Holoplot's X1 Matrix Array.
Sphere's sound system, dubbed "Sphere Immersive Sound", features spatial audio capabilities and is based on Holoplot's X1 Matrix Array of speakers. The sound system comprises 1,586 permanently installed speakers and 300 mobile modules, with 99 percent of the system being hidden behind the LED screen. Each X1 array comprises a MD96 and a MD80-S sound module, equipped with 96 and 80 drivers respectively. Through a matrix of drivers within each speaker module and a matrix of modules per array, Holoplot's system offers more control over the dispersion of sound in horizontal and vertical directions. In total, the sound system comprises 167,000 speaker drivers, amplifiers, and processing channels, and it weighs 395,120 pounds (179,220 kg). Using beamforming capabilities, the Holoplot X1 speakers can digitally aim sound at specific spots in the audience and deliver a consistent volume to every seat in the venue, even over long distances; in Sphere, the system offers 110 metres (360 ft) of sound coverage to reach the furthest seats. The Holoplot X1 arrays can also use wave field synthesis to create a virtual point of origin for sound waves and to place them in precise spatial locations, regardless of the actual positions of speakers. Software algorithms compensate for any transmission loss caused by the obstruction from the LED screen. Integrated into the Holoplot X1 modules are several technologies by Powersoft, including 16-channel amplification, "Integrated Powered Adaptive Loudspeaker" for subwoofers, and energy-efficient solutions such as pulse-width modulation and "power factor correction".
The location in Sphere where a traditional theatre proscenium would be built features the world's largest loudspeaker array, comprising 464 Holoplot X1 speakers (272 MD96 modules and 192 MD80-S modules) organized into 14 clusters and arranged in a semi-arch about 25–30 feet (7.6–9.1 m) above the stage. The sound system also can deliver sound through the floorboards.
Sphere opened on September 29, 2023.
Structure and seating
Sphere is 366 feet (112 m) high and 516 feet (157 m) wide at its broadest point. It is the largest spherical building in the world at 875,000 sq ft (81,300 m2). It includes seating for 18,600 people, and all seats have high-speed internet access. The venue can accommodate 20,000 people in standing capacity. Seating does not wrap around the entire sphere, instead covering approximately two-thirds of the interior while the stage takes up the remainder. Approximately 800 seats in the venue's premium, lower-level 100 section have obstructed views of the wraparound video screen due to the overhang of the second level. Sphere has nine levels, including the basement, where a VIP club is located. A total of 23 suites are included, across the third and fifth floors.
Video screens
The venue's exosphere is lit by approximately 1.23 million LED pucks, each with 48 diodes.
The venue is equipped with a 160,000-square-foot (15,000 m2) LED screen that wraps around the interior. It was designed and manufactured by SACO Technologies, a Canadian company based in Montreal specializing in LED video displays and lighting. With a 16,000 × 16,000 resolution, it is the highest-resolution LED screen in the world, according to Sphere Entertainment. In describing the number of pixels on screen, media sources have reported figures ranging from 189 to 254 million diodes to 268,435,456 pixels. The screen consists of 64,000 LED panels, each controlled by a printed circuit board housed in an aluminum frame, with the panels manufactured in 780 different geometric shapes with an edge-to-edge tolerance of 0.8 millimetres (0.031 in). Due to its curved shape and the propensity for pixels to disappear near the poles, the screen uses an adaptive pixel pitch. It was also designed to be acoustically transparent, allowing sound from the speakers mounted behind the screen to pass through.
The building's exosphere features a 580,000-square-foot (54,000 m2) LED display also designed by SACO Technologies; it was the world's largest at the time the venue opened. It comprises 1.23 million puck-shaped LEDs spaced 8 inches (20 cm) apart, each containing 48 diodes. Visuals displayed on the exosphere have included a Halloween jack-o'-lantern, a Christmas snow globe, and advertisements.
The internal and external displays of Sphere are powered by 150 RTX A6000 graphics processing units by Nvidia, each featuring more than 10,752 cores and 48 gigabytes of memory. Media is streamed from external sources via Nvidia BlueField data processing units and ConnectX-6 DX network interface controllers using Nvidia's Rivermax media streaming software.
Sound system
The venue's speaker system is based on Holoplot's X1 Matrix Array.
Sphere's sound system, dubbed "Sphere Immersive Sound", features spatial audio capabilities and is based on Holoplot's X1 Matrix Array of speakers. The sound system comprises 1,586 permanently installed speakers and 300 mobile modules, with 99 percent of the system being hidden behind the LED screen. Each X1 array comprises a MD96 and a MD80-S sound module, equipped with 96 and 80 drivers respectively. Through a matrix of drivers within each speaker module and a matrix of modules per array, Holoplot's system offers more control over the dispersion of sound in horizontal and vertical directions. In total, the sound system comprises 167,000 speaker drivers, amplifiers, and processing channels, and it weighs 395,120 pounds (179,220 kg). Using beamforming capabilities, the Holoplot X1 speakers can digitally aim sound at specific spots in the audience and deliver a consistent volume to every seat in the venue, even over long distances; in Sphere, the system offers 110 metres (360 ft) of sound coverage to reach the furthest seats. The Holoplot X1 arrays can also use wave field synthesis to create a virtual point of origin for sound waves and to place them in precise spatial locations, regardless of the actual positions of speakers. Software algorithms compensate for any transmission loss caused by the obstruction from the LED screen. Integrated into the Holoplot X1 modules are several technologies by Powersoft, including 16-channel amplification, "Integrated Powered Adaptive Loudspeaker" for subwoofers, and energy-efficient solutions such as pulse-width modulation and "power factor correction".
The location in Sphere where a traditional theatre proscenium would be built features the world's largest loudspeaker array, comprising 464 Holoplot X1 speakers (272 MD96 modules and 192 MD80-S modules) organized into 14 clusters and arranged in a semi-arch about 25–30 feet (7.6–9.1 m) above the stage. The sound system also can deliver sound through the floorboards.
Below are some photos I took while attending the "Postcard from Earth" feature.
Most of the photos taken from the very large wrap around screen.
Our seats were in section 406 row 20.
Most of the photos taken from the very large wrap around screen.
Our seats were in section 406 row 20.
