Universal Music installs Genelec systems
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Universal’s two-floor office is located in the Merikortteli building in the trendy Punavuori area of Helsinki. Previously a vast 28,000m² industrial building, Merikortteli has now largely been converted to a host of sophisticated office spaces.
When Universal moved in in 2010, they called upon the services of interior designer, Eliisa Korpijärvi, to transform the dark and dingy factory area into a cosy, yet modern, office, with a light colour palette. The open plan space houses more than 20 employees, with two separate offices and meeting rooms, as well as a kitchen and living area. Whilst the renovated space retains its clean, modern feel, the same could no longer be said of the loudspeaker system which was starting to fall below the high standards required by Universal. The organisation turned to Heikki Konttinen of AV installation company, Attime Oy, to provide a system more in keeping with Universal’s expectations.
As per the specification provided by Universal, Konttinen installed a distributed audio system comprising a total of 20 wall-mounted Genelec 4030B loudspeakers throughout the first and second floor spaces, delivering a precise, neutral listening experience across the entire premises. Several compact SAMTM studio monitors with Genelec’s patented Smart Active Monitoring have also been installed in certain areas dedicated to critical listening.
Eero Ojansuu, finance director at the Universal Music office, comments: “Genelec was an obvious choice for us, as the company is already a household name throughout the music business for the superior quality of their studio monitoring speakers, and now also for premium speakers for consumers and in installations. Sound quality was our first priority, but the clean design and the variety of colour options that Genelec offer made the decision very easy.”
Genelec speakers have also been installed in each of the four meeting rooms, two of which feature a pair of 4030Bs whilst the remaining two rooms benefit from a pair each of the larger 8340A (SAMTM) monitors. Another area dedicated to critical listening is the A&R room where there is a pair of the even more powerful 8250A (SAMTM) monitors, and finally, a pair of 8320A (SAMTM) monitors has been installed in the MD’s office.
(Jim Evans)
