TILT — Immersive Audio for Chicago Thrill Ride

360 CHICAGO and its parent company, Magnicity (M56) like to think big — REALLY big! It's this mindset that led to the creation of TILT — a heart-pounding thrill ride that literally tilts visitors over the city of Chicago 1,030 feet up. As exciting as the experience is, it needed something more.

SAM was asked to take TILT to another level by composing experiential music and sound that would sync perfectly with the ride. Adding to the complexity, TILT is comprised of three unique ride variations, each differing in length and movement sequences, which are interchanged as needed based on daypart and wait times — mornings might use a longer sequence with slower movements to create a calming, meditative atmosphere, while evenings use shorter sequences with frequent movements to elevate heart rates and create a more thrilling experience. SAM was up to the challenge.

Three custom musical scores were created — aptly named ‘Sweet’, ‘Savory’, and ‘Spicy’ — to compliment the ride’s desired emotional states. In addition to the blend of electronic and orchestral instrumentation, the compositions also feature augmented sound design using the ride’s natural noises to complete the marriage of senses. SAM mixed the audio pair seamlessly with TILT's speaker array including sub-frequencies that trigger in-floor rumblers allowing riders to truly feel the experience. Since launching, TILT has received worldwide acclaim for its breathtaking ride experience, and has gone viral with tens of millions of views and reactions. SAMs sound experience has played a key role in taking riders over the edge.