AIC25 Active In-Ceiling Speaker

Farang was the first restaurant to be opened a decade ago by BW Restaurants Oy, a private company owned by well-known Finnish chef, Matti Wikberg. 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.”

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The New Children’s Hospital (HUS) in Helsinki is one of a kind. Over a million Finns contributed funds to build the new €170M state-ofthe-art facility which welcomed its first patients in late 2018. Focused on demanding, specialised health care for children, the new facility is a case study in patient-centric design that uses art and play – both recognised as key elements for a ‘healing environment’ - combined with the latest digital technology to provide the highest quality medical care in a safe, reassuring environment for the children and their families.

Part of the hospital’s innovative approach included the development of a buildingwide soundscape to create a soothing sonic environment for patients and staff. Genelec is proud to have contributed to this unique endeavour with the provision of nearly 100 loudspeakers, including 39 Genelec 8430A IP SAM™ loudspeakers which serve the soundscape project and were donated outright. Indeed, the soundscape design was recently awarded the Grand Prix in the soundscapes and ambient sound category of the 2019 International Sound Awards (ISA) in Hamburg.

The project was led by paediatrics specialist, Pekka Lahdenne, head of digital and innovations services at HUS who engaged Miikka Peltomaa, an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) specialist and keen musician. Dr Peltomaa’s brief was to create the best possible sound experience in one of the world’s most modern children’s hospitals. “My role was kind of CEO of the project,” he says with a smile. “I chose the professionals and collaborators for the venture, for which we had no budget, begged for donations (which was fun and easy) and looked after the project as it developed.

The project steering group consisted of me and Dr Outi Ampuja. Outi is an adjunct professor at the university of Helsinki and a recognised expert in noise analysis and the effects of noise, sound and silence on the human body. Her input was invaluable.”

The idea was to create a soundscape based on the visual theme of each of the hospital’s eight floors, starting in the underground car park. Inspiration was drawn mostly from the natural world as well as the much-loved Finnish Moomin stories; the ocean theme for the underground carpark gives way to the shore at ground level, through valleys, forests and mountains all the way up the stars on level eight. Dr Peltomaa recruited Antti Ikonen, Head of Sound in New Media at Aalto university and ten of his MA students for the mammoth task of developing the content.

“Firstly, the sound is generative, not looping, to avoid stress and ear fatigue,” explains Antti. “All the audio material is hosted in a single computer which generates and renders the soundscapes before feeding them out to each floor and location via the hospital’s IP network. Each soundscape contains ingredients from real sound environments like the ocean, the forest, the jungle, blended with all sorts of other elements that we either created or recorded ourselves or sourced from sound libraries. It was a huge undertaking.”

“The design and planning started before the building even existed,” he continues. “We discussed with the architects, doctors, electrical engineers, IT people, and Genelec how to implement this holistic technological system. The idea was not to fill the building with background music but to create a discreet, lowlevel ambience that is pleasurable and soothing for the kids but won’t disturb nurses or other staff.” A crucial element of the design was speaker placement, which was determined at the very outset of the project and effectively designed into the building to facilitate cabling and infrastructure. The soundscape is delivered via 39 Genelec 8430A IP SAM loudspeakers and ten AIC25 in-ceiling loudspeakers distributed throughout the hospital’s lobbies and corridors from the underground car park all the way up to the top floor. They are specifically not located in proximity to the nurses’ workstations so as not to disturb hospital staff, and neither are they found in patients’ rooms, operating theatres, meeting rooms or any other space that has a specific function.

“The huge advantage of using IP networked loudspeakers is that there’s no need for traditional audio cables when connecting the loudspeakers to the sound source (in this case an Apple Mac Pro computer running the audio engine). Without IP audio, the sound system would have required hundreds of metres of audio cable and would have been vulnerable to many kinds of interference,” explains Antti.

“In an IP audio network, the signal is conveyed as data via the ethernet cables of the computer network. In other words, the sound system is utilising a network which exists anyway. This, of course, is a huge cost saving. And last but not least, there’s no loss in the signal chain and the audio is reproduced perfectly in full quality.”

Jon-Patrik Kuhlefelt, sound technician and digital audio specialist from the Sibelius Academy at Helsinki’s University of the Arts, also played an important role in the technical system design and content planning for the soundscape. “The heart of the system is the Mac Pro running a Max/MSP patch,” he confirms. “A Focusrite REDNET PCIeR audio interface in the Mac Pro feeds Dante streams to a BSS BLU-806DA DSP processor, that is used mainly for muting all the loudspeakers in case of a fire alarm. From there, the outputs are fed to the Genelec 8430A IP SAM loudspeakers via AES67. Finally, we have a Focusrite REDNET AM2 feeding the AIC25s.”

“All system tuning and individual loudspeaker configuration is done directly in the Max patch rather than in the loudspeakers themselves, for the simple reason that if ever we need to exchange a loudspeaker for any reason, all we have to do is swap it out, configure the IP address and select the correct input stream – the new loudspeaker is automatically configured as the old one was, so there is much less risk of altering the sonics of the system by accident. Finally, since the Mac Pro is connected to the hospital’s existing IT infrastructure, we can easily control the system from anywhere in the hospital via VNC (remote desktop) using the hospital’s Wi-Fi. That’s a big help when working with a large distributed system like this.”

Another point worth mentioning is that because all of the Genelec speakers are active, there is no need to worry about finding room for amplifier racks. “There are nearly 100 Genelec loudspeakers throughout the building in total – in addition to those used for the soundscape project, there are over fifty 4000 Series loudspeakers (mainly the compact 4020Cs) found in meeting rooms and conference areas throughout the hospital – that would have been a lot of amplifiers to house!” says Miikka Peltomaa.

The final word goes to Antti Ikonen: “Genelec was an ideal partner for such an ambitious and challenging project as the New Children’s Hospital soundscape. In addition to providing the loudspeakers, Genelec helped the sound design team to resolve the technical issues which were inevitable in such pioneering work. We’re all very proud of what we’ve achieved here and hope it will be the blueprint for many projects to come.”