Céline Dion and Harry Styles are among the music stars benefiting from artificial intelligence (AI) technology designed to improve sound quality at live concerts.
French audio company L-Acoustics developed the technology to make singers’ voices clearer, even in large venues. Its Source Intelligence software uses machine learning to separate vocals from background noise in real time.
The software filters out sounds from instruments, backing singers, crowds and echoes. According to the company, it can remove up to 40 decibels of non-vocal sound.
Denis Savage, Dion’s front-of-house engineer for 38 years, praised the technology’s impact on the singer’s performances.
“It’s like voodoo practically,” he said.
“When you mix a Céline Dion show, people want to hear Céline Dion. You just need to keep her on top of the mix at all times,” Savage said.
L-Acoustics “just makes that task easier,” he added.
The technology comes as audio companies seek better ways to improve concert sound. Large crowds, complex stage setups and echoes can make it difficult for fans to hear performers clearly.
Companies such as Alpha Labs and Cedar Audio Ltd. also use machine learning in their audio software. German rival D&B Audiotechnik recently introduced a system that lets sound engineers simulate concert audio from different seats.
However, L-Acoustics has limited Source Intelligence to its own equipment. The software requires the company’s L-ISA Processor II, tying users to its hardware and software systems.
How AI is improving concert sound
L-Acoustics is known for its loudspeaker systems and helped popularise line-array technology in the 1990s. The approach involves stacking speakers to distribute sound across large venues.
For Dion’s 26-concert residency at Paris’ Plenitude Arena, engineers installed the company’s latest L1 speakers above three sections of the stage.
The arena can hold up to 45,000 people. Its size makes it difficult to deliver clear, consistent sound to every section.
The L1 speakers are smaller and lighter than earlier models. This allows engineers to direct sound more precisely across the venue.
Dion’s voice and bass come from the centre speaker cluster. This creates a more consistent sound source across the arena floor.
“With just one source, you get something consistent and avoid all sorts of problems”, such as noise spill and echoes, said François Desjardins, Dion’s systems engineer.
The setup also keeps the stage up to 26 decibels quieter than the audience area. This helps performers hear music and instructions through their in-ear monitors.
“There is no sound on stage practically,” Savage said. “It’s much cleaner.”
The company’s technology has also featured on major tours by Harry Styles, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd and Rosalía. L-Acoustics recently completed a sound-system overhaul at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
L-Acoustics expands into AI
Founded in 1984 by physicist Christian Heil, L-Acoustics is expanding beyond hardware as demand for live entertainment grows.
“Having great loudspeakers is not enough,” said Laurent Vaissié, the company’s co-chief executive officer.
L-Acoustics expects revenue to reach €400 million in 2027. Vaissié said this would represent double-digit growth from 2026.
The company is also expanding into theatres, sports venues, nightclubs and high-end retail.
The audiovisual and acoustic system used for Dion’s Paris residency costs more than €1 million, Vaissié said. Montreal-based production company Solotech bought the equipment and supplies it to AEG Worldwide, the show’s producer.
Despite concerns about AI replacing jobs in the music industry, Vaissié said the technology would support sound engineers rather than make them redundant.
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