A nucleus of nine conference rooms make up the Stella Polare Conference Center, together with the newly-opened Auditorium, designed by the architect Speroni. This lavish shell-shaped space includes high quality audio management, from local control of all audio variables by a 40-channel Soundcraft MH3 audio console to full network control of the Conference Centre's audio facilites via BSS Audio Prosys PS-8810CN DSP system with CobraNet.
The versatile auditorium can be used as a congress hall (seating 1,000, 750, or 350), or as a Dolby-certified cinema, thanks to a disappearing 45sq.m screen; an auditorium for classical music concerts or theatre; a unique and large space for events, fashion shows, or gala dinners, accommodated by moving the seats, which are all removable, or a stage for fashion shows.
The theatre is furnished with 1,008 leather seats with solid oak flooring, walls, ceilings and stage. The room is soundproofed, with exceptional acoustics, designed by consultants Müller-BBM from Munich. Via the BSS Audio network, it is serviced by seven simultaneous translation booths, and an audio-visual editing booth equipped for post-production from which it is possible to send live broadcast feeds.
In the Auditorium's sizeable control room, a Soundcraft MH3 console is used to manage live audio requirements. Configured with 40 channels and redundant power supply, the desk is large enough to handle live music concerts as well as corporate presentations. All 40 inputs are split by a BSS MSR-604-II 4-channel active splitter.
The Stella Polare Center uses BSS ProSys PS-8810CN devices to network the different conference rooms, their control rooms, the seven translation booths and the auditorium. Simple control via PC allows the auditorium, and all nine conference rooms, to share the booths, which are located about 1 kilometre away, connected by fibre-optic and Cat 6 cables. The network extends up several floors of the Fiera Milano building, to the office of technological systems manager Paolo Negri, who can sit at his desk and mix a show in the Auditorium! "Our goal is total connectivity," he says.
In the Auditorium control room are two BSS Audio Soundweb London BLU-80 devices. Configured with eight inputs and eight outputs to handle the Dolby system for the auditorium's cinema application, the Soundweb also interfaces the Soundcraft MH3 to the Crown amplifiers, which power a JBL surround-sound system. With one click on the PC, the Soundweb can configure the Auditorium's facilities to cinema mode, or as a lecture hall or concert venue, all with perfect equalisation. Soundweb is also able to configure the Auditorium into nine separate zones with independent audio control in each.
Negri worked closely with Luigi Oselin and other members of the Audio Equipment s.r.l. team, which supplied all the hardware and systems integration services for the whole Stella Polare Center including the Auditorium. Audio Equipment is distributor for Harman products in Italy, but Paolo Negri points out that, "although I had complete freedom of choice when it came to manufacturers and products, our first choices were Soundcraft, BSS Audio, JBL, Crown and dbx."
(Lee Baldock)
