Genelec helps turn disaster into success
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The latest exhibition, Bound for disaster - Pompeii and Herculaneum, brings to life the events that unfolded around the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, killing an estimated 2,500 people. The sound design for this new audio-visual experience was created by exhibition soundscape specialist, Søren Bendixen of Audiotect, and is built entirely around Genelec’s new 4430 Smart IP loudspeakers. Combined with the scenography, video mapping and lighting, the soundscape immerses visitors in the pre-disaster atmosphere of the lively city of Pompeii, before leading them into the postapocalyptic scenes that followed.
“We are using a total of 51 Genelec 4430 loudspeakers, all fed by discrete channels over a Dante network with Ubiquiti Edge switches,” explains Johan Ahrenfeldt who is responsible for exhibition technology at MOMU. “We’re using QLab software for the playback and a Dante-compatible RME Digiface interface to run a total of 54 discrete channels flawlessly. Various audio formats are used in the sound design, including Ambisonics and Quadrophonic sound, to provide a fully immersive experience.”
Ahrenfeldt is no stranger to Genelec, having used many 4000 Series and 8330A loudspeakers on previous exhibitions, but he says that the new 4430s introduce a new paradigm to the world of installed sound solutions. “I’m not talking about sound quality - the 4430s meet the same exacting standards as the rest of the Genelec range - but in terms of installation, the Smart IP concept opens up a world of possibilities.
“Many of the loudspeakers are concealed by the scenography,” he continues, “but in other places they are mounted directly on the walls. However, they blend in very well thanks to the harmonious design of the Genelec enclosures and a new feature implemented in the Smart IP Manager software which allows us to dim the brightness of the on/off LED indicator in the front.”
(Jim Evans)
