AIC25 Aktiivinen kattokaiutin

Since their beginnings in 2009, the company has opened seven more restaurants and a cocktail bar in the Finnish capital of Helsinki and employs around 200 people. Farang, their flagship venue, has recently relocated to stunning new premises spread over two floors offering both public and private dining facilities plus a large bar. A key part of the overall experience is the soundscape, delivered by a comprehensive 4000 Series Genelec sound system, designed and installed by renowned Finnish AV integration specialists, 4Business Oy.

“The brief from Matti was very clear,” explains 4Business’s Janne Lankinen: “With the new premises, Farang is set to make even more of an impact on the Helsinki restaurant scene, so sound quality - along with everything else - had to be absolutely top notch. Genelec was an obvious choice for us as it matched all of the quality and reliability criteria – and Matti was already familiar with the brand as he’d used Genelec almost exclusively for his other restaurant projects.

“The layout and the surfaces of Farang were a bit of a challenge from an audio perspective,” Lankinen describes. “The feel is quite industrial with lots of exposed concrete and metalwork. There are no convenient - and sound-absorbing - false ceilings or wall panels to hide behind, so we had to make sure that all cabling, mountings and installation were done properly as everything was visible. It also meant we had to be very careful with our system design in order to minimise unwanted reflections and reverberations. The restaurant is situated in a building which also houses newly renovated offices, so we also had to ensure that there was no sound conduction through the structure to the other premises in the building, especially for the low frequencies. Finally, the restaurant is spread over two floors with a very large opening between them; not only did we need to design a system that would cover the whole area evenly with no dead spots or hotspots, but we were inevitably confronted with problems of sound leakage between the two floors.”

Lankinen and his team conducted exhaustive simulations to determine coverage before specifying a system comprising a total of 54 active Genelec loudspeakers and subwoofers. “We decided on the analogue 4000 Series loudspeakers - with Symetrix Prism DSP processors equipped with Dante I/O expanders for matrixing, EQ and delay - as it was a useful approach to optimise the overall cost,” notes Lankinen. “Our aim was to ensure that when you move around the space, the audio experience remains similar throughout, and that the sound pressure would not drop at any point in a way that you’d feel that the music was disappearing.

“We used a mixture of 4020s, 4030s and the powerful 4040s depending on required throw and maximum SPL. Every single speaker was meticulously aligned and DSP was adjusted individually for the best possible results. That, together with acoustic treatment to minimise leakage between floors has enabled us to achieve a system that works beautifully at low sound pressure levels throughout the restaurant, and still has enough power in reserve to be turned up when required for a real party atmosphere.”

For the 7300 Series smart active subwoofers that are mounted in the ceiling, 4Business designed a custom mounting solution that is mechanically isolated from the structure. This ensures that any vibrations are conducted into Sylomer absorbers rather than the hollow core slab which might cause unwanted disturbance elsewhere in the building. When it came to calibrating the subwoofers, 4Business used Genelec’s GLM software with AutoCal to speed up the final adjustment process and ensure that every element of the system was sounding its best.

Responsibility and sustainability are key principles for Farang, and Genelec supports and communicates these values.

“I’m delighted with the results,” reports Lankinen. “The audio system supports the Farang brand as a top-class, place-to-be venue in Helsinki. What’s more, responsibility and sustainability are key principles for Farang and BW Restaurants, and Genelec supports and communicates these values consistently, making them a perfect match. The atmosphere in the restaurant is social and relaxed thanks to carefully thought-out playlists and high quality sound support.”

We have crystal clear audio throughout that sounds amazing, yet doesn’t get in the way of conversation.

Matti Wikberg echoes Lankinen’s sentiments entirely. “All my goals have been achieved, and frankly, exceeded,” he admits. “Janne and his team identified the challenges from the outset and solved them beautifully. We have crystal clear audio throughout that sounds amazing, yet doesn’t get in the way of conversation, whether you’re two or ten people at the table. The right atmosphere enhances the experience immeasurably, and that’s what we’ve achieved here.”

Garrett was initially contacted to provide an ambient sound solution for the entrance hall area. However, once the discussions started in earnest, Garrett saw an opportunity to create something unique.

The Lisbon headquarters wanted to be the first digital Academy – and offer a full media experience including 3D goggles for virtual salons, QR codes for product searching and other digital media. It was also an opportunity to install a proper, high quality audio system throughout the venue, not just in the foyer. Garrett recommended Genelec as the best solution for their needs, particularly for the four training rooms.

“Previously L’Oréal used to rent in equipment for all of their events,” explains Garrett’s Carlos Melo who was closely involved in the project. “However, after discussions with us, they decided that it would be better to have their own in-house solution rather than having to rely on external AV companies, as it would be cheaper in the long term and more convenient. They also knew that they could rely on us for support whenever necessary. We recommended Genelec as it delivers everything they required: excellent intelligibility when using microphones, extremely high quality low level ambient sound, and can still blow people away when the DJ comes in!”

There are four rooms in total over two floors which are used largely for training but also for parties and other events. They can operate independently or combined in any configuration. The ground floor and first floor control rooms communicate so that L’Oréal can even host a single event across the two floors if necessary – since all audio and video can be streamed live across all four spaces, making the system extremely flexible.

For the audio system, Garrett specified two Genelec 8050B loudspeakers and one 7070A subwoofer per room. The 8050B was designed as a studio monitoring loudspeaker, thus guaranteeing absolutely pristine audio quality at any playback level and at any listening position in the room. The 7070A subwoofer offers extremely clean and precise low frequency performance, combining both low distortion and impressively high SPL capability. The speakers and subwoofers are all active, making installation very straightforward with no amp racks or long cable runs to worry about. Additionally, a number of AIC25 ceiling speakers have been installed throughout the lobby and other public areas.

According to the Academy supervisor, Sofia Fernandes, the new audio system has made a huge difference, both in operational terms as well as quality. “These rooms are in use every day in a variety of combinations,” she explains. “Set up is now a piece of cake: all I have to do is plug in the microphone and we’re essentially ready to go. On/off and levelcan all be controlled remotely via a tablet, or if we have a DJ in, they just run it all from the desk. The sound is amazing, whether it’s speech or music, at high level or low levels. In fact, now the system is in, I simply never have to worry about it – I just turn it on and it works. Room combining is also very straightforward, so there’s no doubt that it has helped me in my job. We no longer have to deal with the disruption of external AV companies coming in and out – even if they did a good job, it’s still one more thing to deal with. Now we just manage it all ourselves, and probably with even better results. It all looks and feels extremely professional and is perfectly integrated with the rest of our systems. Garrett has done a wonderful job, so yes, we’re very pleased.”

“From an integrator’s point of view, we believe that Genelec offers a number of advantages for projects like these,” reveals Carlos Melo. “Firstly, we know that the sound quality is truly second to none; secondly, because most of their models are active, it’s very easy to install – and the new networked Smart IP models will be easier still – and finally, we know that once they go in, the equipment is so reliable that, unless the client wants to upgrade or change anything, we probably won’t hear from them again for the next twenty years!”

“It was a massive project,” confirms Garrett’s sales director, Raúl Fernandes. “We were involved from the very start, which was extremely helpful, but the pressure for everything to be perfect was possibly worse for the second venue than for the first! It’s always the problem when the first job is so successful – the second has to be even better…”

With the capacity to accommodate over 300 people, JNcQUOI Asia is not just about the food. It’s a place where people come to see and to be seen, offering four different spaces for customers to relax and soak up the atmosphere: a large bar with comfortable seating – which also hosts a DJ booth; the main dining room dominated by a huge, golden dragon skeleton suspended from the central glass atrium; a glamourous sushi bar; and a comfortable terrace and interior garden. Garrett supplied an extremely high quality, zoned audio solution throughout with full control.

The first area is the bar, itself separated into three separate zones: the DJ area which utilises a pair of Genelec G Fives offering professional active loudspeaker performance but with flexible XLR and RCA connectivity, and a pair of 5041 in-wall subwoofers behind the DJ booth; the main bar area which is equipped with six 4030 and six of the larger 4040 installation loudspeakers plus three 5041 subwoofers hidden in columns; and finally the toilets – a design haven in themselves! – where Garrett installed four AIC25 in-ceiling speakers.

The challenge for the bar area was to provide sufficient coverage for what is a very open space without sacrificing quality for SPL. The solution also had to be as discreet and as aesthetically pleasing as possible. “We spent a long time getting loudspeaker placement absolutely right for optimum results, and then we fine-tuned the system with the loudspeakers’ own on-board room response controls plus EQ and delay via a matrix. Our service manager, Luis Tavares, did a fantastic job of tuning the system, especially here in this room,” recounts Fernandes who also notes that there is an output to each speaker enabling every speaker to be controlled individually for maximum precision. “When the system was commissioned, we turned the music up pretty loud and I invited the owner to come and stand in the middle of the room with me. We could still carry on a conversation – I told him that this is why we use Genelec!”

“A good live band actually sounds amazing as the system is so well calibrated to the space.”

It’s also possible to have live music in the bar although the system wasn’t initially designed with live music in mind. “The owner changed his mind at the last minute! Fortunately, we had enough inputs and outputs still available to make it possible – we just had to add extra microphones and a digital mixer,” says Fernandes. “A good live band actually sounds amazing as the system is so well calibrated to the space. It also helps that there are lots of nice, absorbent surfaces in the bar area to reduce the amount of reflections.”

“The larger 4040s gave us the extended bass response we required whilst still remaining aesthetically pleasing.”

For the restaurant area, Garrett opted for a total of fourteen 4040s. The biggest issue here was the acoustics, as the outside wall is mostly glass and there is a huge glass atrium overhead that houses the rather magnificent dragon. “As there was no room for subs in the restaurant, the larger 4040s gave us the extended bass response we required whilst still remaining aesthetically pleasing. The most challenging aspect was managing the very reflective environment. Fortunately, Genelec products excel in that respect, and once again we were able to calibrate the system very precisely for optimum results – in other words, intelligible, clean audio at levels where diners can still hold a conversation at normal, comfortable levels.”

The project manager for JNcQUOI Asia was Garrett’s Mário Trigueiros, who also oversaw the original JNcQUOI project, and he was keen to point out how Genelec’s GLM software had helped the Garrett team optimise the loudspeaker system performance for different situations. “GLM is an amazing tool for system calibration,” he says. “We used it to perform all the measurements that were then turned into presets accessible via the control system. We’ve done all of the hard work upfront to ensure that the system is fully optimised for every situation, be it background music, a DJ or a live band.”

Garrett has provided control for all four zones, giving access to level, mute and source selection for the audio system, plus lighting and temperature. There are presets for daytime and night-time ambience settings. Access is via strategically placed wall panels or a mobile phone app.

Garrett also went to the trouble of measuring the sound outside the restaurant to ensure that there was absolutely no issue for the hotel next door, some of whose rooms border directly onto the bar. “We had to ensure that there was no sound leakage whatsoever. Once again, Genelec is an excellent choice in this respect because the loudspeakers are extremely efficient with tightly controlled directivity. Listeners have the impression that the system is loud because intelligibility is high which enables us to keep SPLs down – which is great for the neighbours!”

Fernandes and Trigueiros are proud of what they have achieved at JNcQUOI Asia. “It’s another fantastic showcase for both us and Genelec,” confirms Trigueiros. “Genelec is a very high quality brand, ideally suited to this kind of high-end environment where failure of any kind, or sub-par performance would not be tolerated. Nevertheless, the active system design is a bonus – firstly because it saves on space and makes for a much cleaner installation, and secondly, in the unlikely event that one does go down, it doesn’t compromise the rest of the system. That is very reassuring for the owners, although we’ve never had a failure yet. The owners are thrilled with the results and so are we. You only have to look at the reviews to realise that the concept is a success at every level.”

Helsingin Uusi lastensairaala (HUS) on ainoa laatuaan. Vuoden 2018 lopulla avattu, noin 170 miljoonaa euroa maksanut huippulaatuinen yksikkö hyödyntää taidetta ja leikkiä yhdistettynä uusimpaan digitaaliseen teknologiaan. Tällä yhdistelmällä saavutetaan parasta mahdollista lääketieteellistä hoitoa paikassa, jonka lapset ja heidän perheensä voivat kokea turvalliseksi ja luotettavaksi.

Yksi osa sairaalan innovatiivisesta suunnittelusta on koko rakennuksen laajuinen äänijärjestelmä, joka tuottaa potilaille ja henkilökunnalle rauhoittavan äänimaailman. Äänimaailma on täysin verkotettu 39:n Genelecin 8430A IP -kaiuttimen ansiosta. Äänimaailman suunnittelutyö palkittiin Grand Prix - palkinnolla äänimaailma- ja ambient-kategoriassa vuoden 2019 International Sound Awards (ISA) -palkintogaalassa Hampurissa.

Idea äänimaailman takana oli luoda jokaiselle sairaalan kahdeksalle kerrokselle niiden visuaaliseen ilmeeseen sopiva ääni. Inspiraatiota haettiin pääosin luonnosta sekä rakastetuista Muumi-tarinoista. Aalto-yliopiston Sound in New Media -ohjelman johtaja Antti Ikonen sekä kymmenen ohjelman maisteriopiskelijaa olivat vastuussa jättiläismäisestä työstä äänimaailman takana.

“Jotta stressiltä ja ääniin väsymiseltä vältyttäisiin, teimme lisääntyvän äänimaailman kiertävän sijaan”, Ikonen kertoo. “Kaikki äänimateriaali on tallennettuna yhdelle tietokoneelle joka luo ja renderöi äänimaailmat ennen niiden syöttöä eri kerroksiin ja osastoihin sairaalan IP-verkon kautta”.

“Äänimaailman suunnittelu alkoi jo ennen kuin sairaala oli rakennettu”, hän jatkaa. “Keskustelimme arkkitehtien, lääkäreiden, sähköinsinöörien, IT-ammattilaisten ja Genelecin kanssa siitä, miten voimme toteuttaa näin kokonaisvaltaisen teknologisen järjestelmän. Tilan täyttävän taustamusiikin sijaan ajatuksena oli luoda lapsille miellyttävä, lähes huomaamaton äänimaailma joka ei myöskään häiritsisi hoitajia tai muuta henkilökuntaa”.

Kaiutinasettelu oli olennainen osa suunnittelutyötä. Asettelu otettiin huomioon jo projektin alkuvaiheissa, joka mahdollisti kaapeloinnin ja infrastruktuurin suunnittelun itse rakennukseen. Äänimaailma tuotetaan 39:n Genelec 8430A IP -kaiuttimen ja kymmenen AIC25-kattokaiuttimen kautta sairaalan tiloihin aina maanalaisesta parkkihallista ylimpään kerrokseen saakka. Äänimaisemaa toistavat kaiuttimet on tarkoituksella jätetty pois erityisistä tiloista, kuten hoitajien työtiloista, potilaiden huoneista, leikkaussaleista ja kokoushuoneista.

“IP-verkossa toimivien kaiuttimien käytössä on se erittäin suuri etu, että kaiuttimen ja äänilähteen (tässä tapauksessa Apple Mac Pro, joka ajaa ääniohjelmistoa) välille ei tarvita perinteisiä äänikaapeleita. Ilman IP-verkkoa järjestelmä olisi vaatinut satoja metrejä äänikaapelointia ja se olisi ollut paljon herkempi monenlaisille häiriöille”, Ikonen selittää. “IP-ääniverkossa signaali käsitellään datana tietokoneverkon verkkokaapeleiden kautta. Toisin sanoen, äänijärjestelmä hyödyntää jo olemassa olevaa verkkoa, joka luonnollisesti on todella paljon kustannustehokkaampaa. Ja mikä tärkeintä, signaaliketju ei kärsi lainkaan ja ääni voidaan uudelleentuottaa täydellisesti”.

Jon-Patrik Kuhlefelt, Sibelius-Akatemian ääniteknikko ja digitaalisen äänen erityisosaaja, toimi myös isossa osassa äänimaailman teknisessä ja sisällöllisessä suunnittelussa. “Järjestelmän sydän on Mac Pro -tietokone joka ajaa Max/MSP patchia”, hän kertoo. “Focusriten REDNET PCIeR -äänikortti Mac Pro:ssa syöttää Dante-teknologian avulla ääntä BSS BLU-806DA DSP-prosessoriin, jota hyödynnetään lähinnä kaiuttimien mykistämiseen mahdollisen tulipalon sattuessa. Prosessorin ulostulot syötetään Genelec 8430A IP -kaiuttimiin AES67-standardia hyödyntäen. Focusrite REDNET AM2 -äänikortti taas syöttää äänen AIC25-kaiuttimiin”.

Genelec oli täydellinen kumppani Uuden lastensairaalan äänimaailman kaltaiseen kunnianhimoiseen ja haastavaan projektiin.

Kuhlefelt korostaa myös sisäänrakennetulla vahvistimella varustettujen aktiivikaiuttimien hyötyjä. “Koko rakennuksessa on lähes sata Genelecin kaiutinta. Äänimaailmaprojektin kaiuttimien lisäksi sairaalassa on myös yli viisikymmentä 4000-sarjan kaiutinta, joista suurin osa on kompakteja 4020C-malleja. Nämä kaiuttimet on sijoiteltu kokoushuoneisiin ja konferenssitiloihin ympäri sairaalaa. Ilman aktiivikaiuttimia olisimme joutuneet asentamaan todella monta vahvistinta!”, hän toteaa.

Antti Ikonen toteaa lopuksi: “Genelec oli täydellinen kumppani Uuden lastensairaalan äänimaailman kaltaiseen kunnianhimoiseen ja haastavaan projektiin. Kaiuttimien lisäksi Genelec tarjosi äänisuunnitteluryhmälle neuvoja teknisissä ongelmissa, joiden esiintulo oli väistämätöntä tämänkaltaisessa pioneerityössä. Olemme kaikki erittäin ylpeitä saavutuksestamme ja toivomme, että se toimii esimerkkinä monille tuleville projekteille”.