The professional live sound industry is taking a significant step toward standardizing one of its most sensitive areas: the management of acoustic impact at live events. L-Acoustics and d&b audiotechnik, two leading global manufacturers of sound systems, have partnered with the German company SoundPLAN to develop a new standard known as SDE (System Design Exchange), aimed at improving noise prediction in complex environments.
The system was officially introduced on April 15 from the companies’ headquarters in Marcoussis and Backnang. Its core objective is to establish a neutral, shared format that unifies acoustic calculation methodologies across different technologies. The initiative addresses a growing industry challenge: the lack of interoperability between proprietary simulation tools, which makes it difficult to accurately predict sound emissions at festivals and large-scale events.
A Challenge Driven by Industry Growth
As outdoor events continue to expand in urban environments, tensions with environmental regulations and local communities have intensified. In this context, SDE seeks to reduce fragmentation by providing a standardized method that enables data export from design software such as ArrayCalc or Soundvision and integration into acoustic analysis platforms like SoundPLAN.
The system incorporates advanced variables, including calibration factors and decoherence, allowing for more precise modeling of interactions between multiple sound sources. This includes coherent summation of signals while accounting for phase, resulting in more reliable simulations for large-scale events—particularly those involving multiple stages and heterogeneous sound systems.
Toward a Common Industry Framework
From an operational standpoint, SDE enables technical teams to export their system designs into standardized files that can be used by acoustic consultants and event organizers. This ensures that analyses can be conducted within a consistent methodological framework, supporting more efficient, comparable, and reliable workflows, as well as improved anticipation of potential regulatory non-compliance.
d&b audiotechnik highlights that SDE represents a meaningful advancement in addressing noise management challenges at large-scale events by enabling a more accessible and consistent approach. Similarly, L-Acoustics emphasizes the importance of shared tools that facilitate dialogue among promoters, public authorities, and local communities, particularly in an increasingly regulated environment.
A خطوة Toward Industry Standardization
According to SoundPLAN, SDE has the potential to become a new industry benchmark, simplifying processes and delivering more accurate predictions in scenarios where systems from multiple manufacturers converge.
While the SDE format is currently linked to the founding companies’ tools, the long-term objective is to open it up to other manufacturers and acoustic software developers. This move signals a broader trend toward technological standardization in the live events sector, where sustainability—including acoustic sustainability—has become a central pillar for future development.