The S360A delivers high SPL monitoring without compromising on predictability, speech intelligibility or sound quality.
S360 SAM™ Studio Monitor
Active Crossovers
Intelligent Signal Sensing (ISS™) Technology
SPL
118 dB
Frequency Response
36 Hz - 22 kHz (-6dB)
Dimensions
H 530 x W 360 x D 360 mm, with Iso-Pod™ (view in inches)
Loud and Clear
The S360A’s fusion of main monitor performance and compact size makes it perfect for demanding film, post and music production, and in combination with a subwoofer, the S360A satisfies the demands of EDM playback or Dolby film mixing even in rooms where the listening distance exceeds 10 metres (33 feet). Equally at home in free-standing, in-wall or on-wall positions, the S360A delivers neutral reproduction with a short-term SPL capability of 118 dB, with peaks even higher.
Calibrate for your environment
The S360A integrates closely with our GLM software via which it can be configured and calibrated for your listening environment, compensating for detrimental room influences to create a truly optimised monitoring solution from mono to immersive. Not only does help produce mixes that translate beautifully, but GLM also doubles as a comprehensive Mac or PC-based monitor controller, allowing you to calibrate your listening level to accepted loudness standards, switch between formats, monitoring systems and primary listening positions – and much more.
Genelec
S360 SAM™ Studio Monitor Black
S360 SAM™ Studio Monitor White
Package contains:
1 x S360A monitor
1 x mains cable, length 1.8 m (6 ft)
1 x 5 m GLM network cable
1 x operating manual
Color options:
S360 SAM™ Studio Monitor
Awards
Now in its 35th year, the annual TEC Awards are widely recognized as the highest honour dedicated to the pro audio and sound recording industry. It’s where the most outstanding products in the worlds of music making, live performances, video games, television and films are recognised, and we were thrilled that our S360 and Aural ID were both voted winners for Outstanding Technical Achievement in their respective product categories.
This year was the first time that three companies all picked up double TEC awards, so congratulations also to our friends at Universal Audio and API for their success, and also to Joni Mitchell for being the deserved recipient of the Les Paul Innovation Award – presented by Herbie Hancock.
After a ‘Call for Entries’, the TEC Award nominations were made by a panel of professionals and thought leaders from all areas of the audio and sound production industries, and then voted upon by pro audio, live event and music industry professionals across the globe. The winners were then announced at a special awards dinner last Saturday - during the NAMM Show in California - and our team were on hand to step up and accept the awards.
The S360 high-SPL Smart Active Monitor triumphed in the Studio Monitors category, and has quickly become a benchmark for those working in music, film and post that demand a true reference that fuses main monitor performance with compact size – from stereo through to immersive formats.
By contrast, our Aural ID technology helps delivers a more truthful headphone listening experience by modelling the user’s personal head and upper torso features to produce a personalised file that then can be integrated into their audio workstation. This enables those in the worlds of music recording, post production, academic research, VR and games development to experience a far more natural sense of space and direction in their headphones, thus promoting more accurate and reliable headphone mixing.
Will Eggleston, our US marketing director commented “We thank all the voters who selected the S360 and Aural ID to win their respective categories. It is indeed an honour and a privilege to be recognised by our peers for the hard work of our R&D and engineering teams. They are incredibly outstanding products representing the spirit of innovation and market-driven development that Genelec strives to embody.”
Thank you to everyone that voted for us - we’re hugely proud, and grateful for your support!
We’d like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone that voted for our S360 high-SPL two way monitor, which has just been announced as the winner in the Monitoring category of Resolution Magazine’s prestigious 2019 awards.
Launched last summer at the AES Immersive Conference in Tokyo, the S360 is fast becoming an essential choice for both stereo music recording and immersive post-production, where the S360’s fusion of main monitor performance and compact size makes it perfect for those requiring precision listening at higher SPLs or longer listening distances.
Housed in a low diffraction enclosure with premium quality Finnish woodwork, the S360 features an enhanced 10-inch high efficiency woofer and 1-inch titanium diaphragm compression tweeter housed in an extended directivity control waveguide – delivering neutral reproduction with a short-term SPL capability of 118 dB, with peaks even higher.
As part of the growing Smart Active family of Genelec monitors and subwoofers, the S360 tightly integrates with GLM software, via which it can be configured, calibrated and controlled. Using GLM, any Genelec Smart Active model can be incorporated into a system configurable from simple stereo to high-channel count immersive formats.
Having been shortlisted by Resolution’s panel of industry experts and practitioners, voting was then opened to the magazine’s readers, social media followers, and the general public – who thankfully gave the S360 a resoundingly positive thumbs-up.
Once again thank you to everyone who supported us – we are extremely proud and grateful!
Technical Specifications
SPL
118 dB
Amplifier Power
250 W Bass (Class D) + 100 W Treble (Class D)
Frequency Response
36 Hz - 22 kHz ("-6 dB")
Accuracy of Frequency Response
± 2 dB (39 Hz - 19 kHz)
Driver Dimensions
⌀ 250 mm Bass + ⌀ 25 mm Treble (view in inches)
Dimensions
H 530 x W 360 x D 360 mm, with Iso-Pod™ (view in inches)
Weight
30 kg / 66.1 lb
Connections
1 x XLR Analog Input
1 x XLR AES/EBU Input
1 x XLR AES/EBU Output
2 x RJ45 Control
S360 SAM™ Studio Monitor
Technical Specifications
System Specifications
Frequency Response
39 Hz - 19 kHz (± 2 dB)
Low cutoff -6dB
36 Hz
High cutoff -6dB
22 kHz
SPL
Peak SPL Maximum peak acoustic output per pair in a listening room with music material at 1 m.
≥128 dB
Short term max SPL Maximum short term sine wave acoustic output on axis in half space, averaged from 100 Hz to 3 kHz at 1 m.
≥118 dB
Long term max SPL Maximum long term RMS acoustic output in the same conditions with IEC weighted noise (limited by driver protection circuit) at 1 m.
≥112 dB
Self-generated noise
Self-generated noise Self generated noise level in free space at 1 m on axis (A-weighted).
≤10 dB
Weight
Weight30 kg (66.1 lb)
Dimensions
Height
530 mm
Height with Iso-Pod
530 mm
Width
360 mm
Depth
360 mm
Enclosure
Enclosure material
MDF
Enclosure type
Reflex port
Drivers
Bass
Driver type
Cone
Diameter
250 mm
Treble
Driver type
Compression
Compression driver 44 mm (1.7 in) into a 25 mm (1 in) throat.
Diameter
25 mm
Directivity
Vertical directivity
Horizontal directivity
Harmonic distortion
50…100 Hz ≤1 %
100 Hz...5 kHz ≤0.5 %
> 5 kHz ≤1.5 %
100 Hz...5 kHz ≤0.5 %
> 5 kHz ≤1.5 %
Amplifier Section
Amplifiers
S360 bass amplifier
250 W Class D
S360 treble amplifier
100 W Class D
Mains voltage
100-240 VAC 50/60Hz
Power consumption
ISS Active
≤1 W
Idle
≤11 W
Full output
230 W
Signal processing section
Connectors
Input Analog signal input connector XLR female, balanced 10 kOhm.
Input Digital signal input connector XLR female 110 Ohm.
Output Digital signal output / Thru connector XLR male 110 Ohm.
2 x Control Two CAT5 (RJ45) GLM Network connectors for computer control using the Genelec Loudspeaker Manager (GLM) software.
For even more technical details please see product operating manual.
Key Technologies
Active Crossovers
Intelligent Signal Sensing (ISS™) Technology
Laminar Integrated Port (LIP™) Technology
Protection Circuitry
Smart Active Monitor (SAM™) Systems
Directivity Control Waveguide (DCW™) Technology
Optimized Amplifiers
Room Response Compensation
Versatile Mountings
Active crossover operating at low signal levels.
Audio electronic crossovers allow to split the audio signal into separate frequency bands that can be separately routed to individual power amplifiers which then are connected to specific transducers optimized for a particular frequency band.
Active crossovers come in both digital and analogue varieties. Genelec digital active crossovers include additional signal processing, such as driver protection, delay, and equalization.
Genelec analogue active crossover filters contain electronic components that are operated at low signal levels suitable for power amplifier inputs. This is in contrast to passive crossovers that operate at the high signal levels of the power amplifier's outputs, having to handle high currents and in some cases high voltages.
In a typical 2-way system the active crossover needs two power amplifiers — one for the woofer and one for the tweeter.
The active crossover design offers multiple benefits:
- The frequency response becomes independent of any dynamic changes in the driver's electrical characteristics or the drive level.
- There is an increased flexibility and precision to adjust and fine tune each output frequency response for the specific drivers used.
- Each driver has its own signal processing and power amplifier. This isolates each driver from the drive signals handled by the other drivers, reducing inter-modulation distortion and overdriving problems.
- The ability to compensate for sensitivity variations between drivers.
- The possibility to compensate for the frequency and phase response anomalies associated with a driver’s characteristics within the intended pass-band.
- The flat frequency response of a high-quality active loudspeaker is a result of the combined effect of the crossover filter response, power amplifier responses and driver responses in a loudspeaker enclosure.
Using the active approach enables frequency response adjustments and optimization of the full loudspeaker system, placed in various room environments, without expensive external equalizers. The end result is a simpler, more reliable, efficient, consistent and precise active loudspeaker system.
Intelligent Signal Sensing (ISS™) for power consumption reduction in stand-by mode.
Introduced early 2013, Genelec’s Intelligent Signal-Sensing technology has been developed to meet with both European Union ErP Directives and the company’s own wider sustainability commitments.
The Intelligent Signal Sensing, ISS™ circuitry tracks the signal input of the loudspeaker and detects if it is in use. If the ISS circuit does not find any audio on the input for a period of time, it sets the loudspeaker to a low-power sleep state and the loudspeaker will consume less than 0.5 watts. When an input signal is detected, the loudspeaker immediately turns itself on. Basically, the loudspeaker system will start saving power as soon as work is interrupted.
Additionally an ‘ISS Disable’ switch is located on each product’s back plate next to the other room response controls. First, when the mains power switch of the loudspeaker is set to “ON”, the ISS™ auto-start function (low-power sleep state on/off) of the loudspeaker is active.
If this function is not desired, the ISS™ function can be disabled by setting the “ISS Disable” switch on the back panel to “ON” position. In this mode, the monitor is only powered on and off using the mains power switch.
Note that the mains power switch will always turn the monitor off completely.
Laminar Integrated Port (LIP™) allows for precise bass reproduction.
Genelec’s choice for vented (or bass reflex) enclosures dates back to 1978 and the first active monitor developed by Genelec, the S30. Research to improve the performance and efficiency of reflex ports has been pursued ever since.
A typical reflex port enclosure features a tube and an opening area. To avoid turbulences in the tube the air flow should not meet any acute angles as this would generate noise, compression, distortion and losses of the total radiated energy. To minimize the air flow speed, both the tube and its cross section have to be large. Often, the outer enclosure dimensions become a limitation, because a long tube will not fit in the available volume anymore.
The M Series features two vent tubes having opening stretching across half of the enclosure depth to address these specific issues. The novel patent-pending Laminar Integral Port, LIP™, has been flow-optimized using computer-based finite element models to achieve low distortion and high efficiency even at very high audio output levels.
The reflex ports are integrated in the NCE enclosure during the moulding process, avoiding the need for separate additional components. The cross-section plot (Figure) demonstrates the efficient flow characteristics of the port. The natural installation orientation of the M Series is vertical and to allow easy placement of the monitor against a wall, the M Series ports opening face downwards, in the space under the monitor.
The novel Laminar Integrated Port, LIP™, bass reflex system provides accurate low frequency response and faithful tonal reproduction characteristics.
Sophisticated drive unit protection circuitry for safe operation.
When working in critical audio production environments it is essential that monitoring systems remain reliable and functional at all times. One of the main reasons behind Genelec’s excellent success in broadcasting environments is the reliability of our products and a key element behind the reliability is the internal protection circuitry found in all products since 1978.
The protection circuitry prevents driver failures by detecting signal levels, and in case of sudden peaks or constantly too high levels, taking the signal level down automatically. Of course this feature does not affect the sound quality in any way when working within the specifications of the loudspeaker, but only prevents inadequate input signals from breaking the loudspeaker.
Protection circuitry features and benefits:
- Reduces the output level when required, (e.g. when driver voice coil temperature reaches the safe limit) which highly improves the system reliability
- Appropriate protection circuitry design in every loudspeaker and subwoofer enables to maximise system output sound level.
Networked Smart Active Monitor (SAM™) Systems feature automatic calibration to the environment.
The last decade has experienced a rapid increase in global media content creation, resulting in significant changes in the way network facilities deal with increased workload. Now, more than ever, a growing number of audio productions are done in tighter, more confined working environments. This increases acoustic problems and lowers the reliability of monitoring. At the same time, a professional audio engineer needs to have high confidence in a reliable and precise monitoring system that reproduces sound neutrally and without distortion.
Built upon the solid electro-acoustic foundations of the 1200, 8000 and 7000 Series products, Genelec advanced SAM Systems are today’s most advanced and flexible monitoring solutions. They are an indispensable tool for audio professionals, as they are capable to automatically adapt to the acoustic environments and correct for levels, delays and room anomalies. SAM Systems can be controlled via Genelec proprietary Loudspeaker Manager (GLM™) network and software, enabling you to build a highly flexible and reliable monitoring system.
The GLM 3 software is a highly intuitive and powerful monitor control networking system that manages connectivity to all SAM studio monitors and subwoofers on the network – up to 30. The GLM 3 software features adjustment of levels, distance delays and flexible room response compensation equalization with the state-of-the-art and robust AutoCal™ automated calibration system. All parameters and settings are stored in system setup files or saved in each individual monitor or subwoofer if the GLM network needs to be disconnected.
Also, all acoustical features of SAM Systems can be optimised for different working styles or client demands. Additionally, even if the monitors or the production projects move between rooms, you can expect SAM technology to achieve the highest consistency in monitoring, providing a neutral sound stage imaging with low distortion.
Genelec SAM Systems offers a comprehensive, solution-oriented, intelligently networked product range supporting analogue and digital signals in virtually any working environment.
Directivity Control Waveguide (DCW™) for flat on- and off-axis response.
A revolutionary approach was taken by Genelec in 1983 with the development of its Directivity Control Waveguide (DCW™) used at the time in an egg-shaped enclosure. The Genelec DCW technology developed and refined over more than 30 years greatly improves the performance of direct radiating multi-way monitors.
The DCW technology shapes the emitted wavefront in a controlled way, allowing predictable tailoring of the directivity (dispersion) pattern. To make the directivity uniform and smooth, the goal is to limit the radiation angle so that the stray radiation is reduced. It results in excellent flatness of the overall frequency response as well as uniform power response. This advanced DCW technology minimizes early reflections and provides a wide and controlled listening area achieving accurate sound reproduction on- and off-axis.
Minimized early reflections and controlled, constant directivity have another important advantage: the frequency balance of the room reverberation field is essentially the same as the direct field from the monitors. As a consequence, the monitoring system's performance is less dependent on room acoustic characteristics.
Sound image width and depth, critical components in any listening environment, are important not only for on-axis listening, but also off-axis. This accommodates not only the engineer doing his or her job, but also others in the listening field, as is so often the case in large control rooms.
DCW™ Technology key benefits:
- Flat on- and off-axis response for wider usable listening area
- Increased direct-to-reflected sound ratio for reduced control room coloration
- Improved stereo and sound stage imaging
- Increased drive unit sensitivity up to 6 dB
- Increased system maximum sound pressure level capacity
- Decreased drive unit distortion
- Reduced cabinet edge diffraction
- Reduced complete system distortion
Each transducer is driven by its own optimized amplifier.
Audio electronic crossovers allow to split the audio signal into separate frequency bands that can be separately routed to individual power amplifiers which then are connected to specific transducers optimized for a particular frequency band.
In a typical 2-way loudspeaker system, the active crossover needs two power amplifiers — one for the woofer and one for the tweeter. The power amplifiers are connected directly to the drivers of an active loudspeaker, resulting in the power amplifier’s load becoming much simpler and well known. Each driver-specific power amplifier has only a limited frequency range to amplify (the power amplifier is placed after the active crossover) and this adds to the ease of design.
The active design principle offers multiple benefits:
- The power amplifiers are directly connected to the speaker drivers, maximizing the control exerted by the power amplifier’s damping on the driver’s voice coil, reducing the consequences of dynamic changes in the driver electrical characteristics. This may improve the transient response of the system.
- There is a reduction in the power amplifier output requirement. With no energy lost in the passive crossover filter components, the amplifier power output requirements are reduced considerably (by up to 1/2 in some cases) without any reduction in the acoustic power output of the loudspeaker system. This can reduce costs and increase audio quality and system reliability.
- No loss between amplifier and driver units results in maximum acoustic efficiency
- Active technology can achieve superior sound output vs. size vs. low frequency cut-off performance
- All loudspeakers are delivered as a factory aligned system (amplifiers, crossover electronics and enclosure-driver systems)
Precise room response compensation for optimizing in-room performance.
The interaction between room acoustic and loudspeaker radiation is complex. Each room changes somewhat the monitor’s response in a unique way, e.g. reflective vs. damped rooms, or placement against a wall vs. on a stand away from the walls.
All Genelec loudspeaker systems feature room response adjustments to compensate for the room influences and retrieve a flat frequency response at the listening position.
Analogue Systems
Genelec analogue loudspeaker systems provide versatile Room Response Controls. They include (depending on models):
- Bass Roll-Off and Bass Tilt
- Treble Tilt and Treble Roll-Off
- Bass Level
- Midrange Level
- Treble Level
- Desktop Control
At low frequencies two main controls are provided. The Bass Tilt control, which acts as a shelving filter together with the Bass Roll-off control allowing you to optimize the low and very low frequency response of the system in different installations. Bass, midrange and treble level controls are provided in large systems. These controls allow to optimize the relative balance between the various pass bands.
The operating manual and datasheet of each loudspeaker contains a list of preferred room response control settings for different installations. These have been specified out of long practical experience and measurements of various kind of typical acoustic environments.
Smart Active Monitor (SAM™) Systems
Genelec SAM Systems offer a comprehensive, solution-oriented, intelligently networked product range which all feature Genelec Loudspeaker Manager (GLM™) software and its automatic calibration system called AutoCal™.
Genelec AutoCal provides the industry’s first integrated process for complete automated measurement, analysis, and adjustment of every monitor on the GLM control network. The system measures the response in the listening area and applies relevant compensation in the low and low-mid frequencies to minimise the detrimental room acoustic anomalies as well as the differences between various listening positions. AutoCal also aligns relative levels, time-of-flight, as well as adjusts correct crossover phase (called AutoPhase) for all subwoofers on the network.
The Acoustic Response Editor provides accurate graphical display of the measured response, filter compensation and the resulting system response for each monitor, with full manual control of acoustic settings.
Versatile mounting options for all installation needs.
In addition to perfect acoustical design and advanced tailoring options to optimize the loudspeaker’s behaviour to the room environment, Genelec loudspeakers offer a variety of mounting options for easy installation in different applications.
Our wide range of accessories and fixed mounting points on the back of our aluminium enclosure products offer solutions to all common installation situations. M6 support points have been integrated in the die-cast enclosure for wall and ceiling mounts.
Some models also feature a 3/8” thread at the bottom of the enclosure to fit a robust microphone stand. Other larger and heavier models feature M10 fixing points. Special floor stand plates have been designed in order to fit the Iso-Pod stand that is part of our product design.
With these features our loudspeakers have found their way to a variety of applications beyond the professional audio and studio world, for example in commercial and AV installation projects as well as in home environments all around the world.
References
Genelec S360 monitors drive Spain’s first Dolby Atmos Home certified studios
Part of Mediapro’s image and sound post-production company, Telson.Tres60 opened its new facility in May 2019, and decided to upgrade its monitoring capabilities to better serve its clients. “The system upgrades were driven by client demands - for example Movistar asks for everything in Dolby Atmos,” explains sound production co-ordinator, Ana Belén Martín. “We must be able to fit the standards of each of these clients. This means that we have to generate much more material than before because of the different types of broadcast formats – from a mobile phone to a Smart TV.”
The Telson.Tres60 team, alongside Unitecnic – Mediapro’s engineering company which handled the installation – turned to local Genelec partner Audio-Technica Iberia for the 7.1.4 monitoring solution. In both rooms S360A monitors were installed in the LCR positions, with four 1032C monitors as surrounds and the same number of 8340As covering the overhead channels. Low frequency content is handled by a 7382A subwoofer, and with all of the monitors being calibrated and controlled via Genelec’s GLM loudspeaker management software, the monitoring system is able to provide the flexibility required to work to different standards.
“These are the only two Dolby Atmos Home rooms in Spain approved to work at a 79 dB SPL monitoring level,” adds Pelayo Gutiérrez, sound supervisor and head of the fiction sound department of Telson.Tres60. “Ricardo Viñas from Dolby was responsible for adjusting the rooms and equalising them to the three required levels: at 85 dB for cinema, 79 dB for Netflix and 82 dB for Telefónica.”
Alongside the two Dolby Atmos Home rooms, the facility features a 7.1 room, two 5.1 rooms, a foley room and a movie theatre, which also benefit from Genelec monitoring technology. “In terms of technical expectations, Genelec has delivered exactly what we anticipated,” reflects Gutiérrez. “We are very happy – it's a perfect setup. We have real confidence when it comes to making premixes here and moving on to the movie theatre or vice versa - the mixes translate perfectly.”
Genelec and Sound Blanc join forces for unique surround sound performance
Combining an ambient music performance with a multi-channel listening experience, both the performers and the live audience were surrounded by a ring array of Genelec loudspeakers, creating a truly unique listening environment. This type of playback system is tailor-made for ambient music, emphasising the sense of space and the abstract nature of the compositions – and creating an incredibly thought-provoking and stimulating live event.
The planning and creation of the show took place over a two month period, using the demonstration space in Modern Sky to evaluate how the sound elements combined, how they moved, and what type of speaker configuration would be best suited to the ambient material. The creative team included electronic musician Wang Lu, also known as L + R, music producer/mixer Shen Lijia and visual artist Tami-musiXgal, and working alongside our colleagues at Genelec China, a system comprising eight S360 high-SPL smart active monitors and a 7382 subwoofer was used to surround the audience, while a smaller smart active array of four 8330 two-ways, four 8331 coaxial three-ways and a 7360 subwoofer was used to envelop the musician and the VJ. Genelec GLM software was then used to analyse the room and optimise the frequency response, distance delay and playback level of each speaker in the system – thereby delivering the best possible listening experience to both performers and audience alike.
In planning the event, the team were seeking a good combination of manual control, programming and random machine triggering, with the pre-programmed foundation of the 8.1 audio mix being handled by Ableton Live, with Cycling 74’s Max allowing communication with external hardware instruments – and plenty of real-time musical improvisation was included too!
Prior to the event, the demand for tickets was so high that it was decided to stage three separate performances, to allow every listener to position themselves comfortably within the speaker array and experience the finest sound quality. And from our own perspective, the whole process of planning and executing the event gave us a much deeper understanding of the shaping of space, the precise positioning of sound and the design of moving trajectories in music.
There’s no doubt to us at Genelec that as the world’s exposure to immersive audio becomes greater, the future of multi-channel live music performances is increasingly looking brighter. There are a whole new generation of music fans who are seeking more and more ‘experiential’ live performances, and Genelec is excited to play its part in the growth of this exciting medium.
G Livelab – The future of live music in Tampere relies on Genelec
In the wake of the unmitigated success that is G Livelab Helsinki, the Finnish Musicians’ Union has opened a brand new – and bigger – venue in the vibrant city of Tampere, some 200km north of the Finnish capital. The same team was deployed to realise the Tampere project which is built according to the same ‘music first’ philosophy as Helsinki. The result is an extraordinary live music experience based on quality programming, modern design, and state-of-the-art Genelec audio systems including the ground-breaking new 4430 Smart IP loudspeaker.
Housed in a striking red brick building which was formerly the boiler house of the Frenckell paper mill in the heart of the city, the venue hosts up to 250 people and offers a hugely varied programme including jazz, folk, world music, pop/rock, chamber music, electronic music and more. Akukon Oy designed the acoustics, electroacoustics, lighting, sound, video, communication systems and basic IT structure as well as the rigging systems, as they did for Helsinki, and leading Nordic AV integrator, Bright – another key member of the Helsinki team – brought Akukon’s vision to life.
“Genelec was already a tried and tested solution with the first G Livelab project in Helsinki which has had great reviews,” explains Bright’s Head of Installation, Santtu Sipilä. “People really liked what we achieved in Helsinki, so it was an obvious decision to equip the Tampere club with Genelecs as well.”
The biggest difference between the two venues is the space – Tampere is much bigger with significantly higher ceilings. Although this posed certain challenges in terms of acoustic treatment, it also allowed greater freedom for the audio design.
The second notable difference is the use of Genelec’s 4430 Smart IP loudspeakers which weren’t available at the time of the Helsinki installation.
“We definitely wanted the new 4430s for easier cabling and added control; it’s opened up a world of possibilities for us,” admits Sipilä. “We have a fully networked system running on Dante – this includes the big loudspeakers used for the main PA – and any of the 4430s can take any signal from anywhere. This means that we can use the same loudspeakers for virtual acoustics, surround sound, background music, delays… the possibilities are endless, and it’s enabled us to considerably reduce the total amount of loudspeakers required in order to achieve what we wanted. We are able to make art with loudspeakers and we are not limited in any way in terms of how we can use the system.”
Tapio Ilomäki, the project manager for Akukon, agrees: “Our primary objective was the same as for Helsinki: to deliver a high-quality system with high musicality that serves the performer best. However, the versatility of systems and spaces was a key element of the design; modern venues need to be multi-purpose and they have to be able to facilitate these changes as quickly and easily as possible, for optimum functionality and quick return on investment. The use of the 4430s plays an important role at this level as well as offering extremely musical sound with very low distortion.”
The ability to have everything delivered over just a single cable is every installer’s dream.
Sipilä is also extremely impressed with the PoE (Power over Ethernet) capabilities of the 4430s. “We were really surprised by the SPLs and sound quality from this size of loudspeaker over PoE. We honestly didn’t think it was possible, so yes, we’re very impressed. The ability to have everything delivered over just a single cable is every installer’s dream, so I think that Genelec’s Smart IP range will be figuring in a great many of our future designs!”
In addition to the 4430s, the main PA system comprises a pair of 1236 SAM studio monitors, the flagship of the Genelec range, seventeen S360s for surround and delay, a pair of 1238s as the first delay line, and finally a flown sub array of nine 7380 subwoofers. “We didn’t have either the height or the space to include subs in Helsinki, so this is a welcome addition in Tampere which gives us some extra headroom in the system and helps add body and fullness to the sound,” continues Sipilä.
When you come here to listen to live music, it will most likely sound even better than it did on the record.
Renowned Finnish singer/songwriter, Markus Nordenstreng of Tuomo & Markus and the Latebirds considers G Livelab as his favourite venue for intimate performances. “Some of the best music I have ever heard has been live, but sound quality is often let down by the venue, either through bad acoustic treatment or a sub-par sound system – or both. What you have here at G Livelab is just the opposite end of the scale – for me it’s the ultimate live sound experience. When you come here to listen to live music, it will most likely sound even better than it did on the record – you can hear things you never heard before. It would be a great service to mankind if there was a G Livelab in every city around the world!”
The final word goes to Annamaija Saarela, CEO of G Livelab Tampere: “G Livelab isn’t just about the technology or the programming – it’s about the whole experience of enjoying live music, and I’m proud to say that in bringing together the best of everything and everyone involved, we have achieved a result that is even greater than the sum of the parts. We’ve had nothing but positive feedback since we opened, both from the public and musicians alike.”
Genelec delivers premium audio to renowned Nordic consultancy HQ
The company has recently transformed an old red brick factory building into their new Miltton House headquarters in Helsinki. High quality audio visual technology naturally plays a key role in the new venue. Systems integration specialists, Digisähkö Oy, who were charged with designing and installing the AV systems, selected Genelec loudspeakers throughout, for a premium audio experience.
Designed as a physical meeting place and an inspiration hub as well as a workplace for Miltton’s talent and its stakeholders, high quality AV systems were a priority from the start. “The investment in Miltton House represents the next phase in Miltton’s growth story,” explains Camilla Linniemi, Partner & Director at Miltton Group. “The ways of working are under constant change and the best ideas happen when people connect in a meaningful way.” To that end, in the early stages of the project, Miltton engaged top acoustic consultants and AV designers, Akukon Oy, to come up with an initial design, which was then developed and refined by Digisähkö as the project progressed.
They are extremely aesthetic, so they blend well into every environment, and so very easy to install.
“Akukon had specified that the speakers should be ‘separate, high quality active loudspeakers,’ so as far as we were concerned, Genelec was the obvious choice,” relates Digisähkö CEO, Jani Hirvonen. “The brand is synonymous with quality and matched all of Miltton’s criteria concerning sustainability. It was a very easy decision.”
Digisähkö installed a total of 50 loudspeakers from Genelec’s 4000 Series installation range throughout the building. 42 compact 4020 speakers equip Miltton’s wide variety of meeting and conference rooms. Two of the more powerful 4030s grace the company’s airy entrance lobby whilst a pair of the heavy-hitting 4040s are reserved for the demo room. “The 4000 Series loudspeakers make life very easy for us as an integrator,” confirms Hirvonen. “They are extremely aesthetic, so they blend well into every environment; they are active loudspeakers, and so very easy to install; there is a good range of mounting accessories; and of course, they sound fantastic with incredible clarity and detail, even at low levels.”
We asked for a design that would combine flawless audio quality with sufficient power and coverage.
However, there was one area where Miltton had very specific – and high-level – requirements, and that was for their 350m2 event space in the heart of the building, known as Tori. Designed for events of up to 500 people, the space is easily adaptable for the style of the occasion – from cocktail parties to seminars – with seating for up to 300 people. The audio system needed to be similarly versatile with the ability to cater for everything from a DJ or live band to seminar material.
“The requirement was clearly for a high output, high fidelity sound system with connections for a DJ mixer, which is a very different animal from a conference room system,” notes Hirvonen. “We asked Henri Ulmanen at Genelec to come up with a design that would combine flawless audio quality with sufficient power and coverage to fill the space with no hot spots or dead zones.”
Ulmanen decided on a main system of two S360 smart active loudspeakers supported by two powerful 7380 subwoofers for low end reinforcement, supplemented by four 4040 loudspeakers (two per side) as delays/sidefills. “I decided on the S360s because of their excellent, neutral reproduction and a long-throw capability that delivers reference-quality accuracy at listening distances of over 10 metres,” explains Ulmanen. “Combined with the 7380 subs they are an excellent solution for any environment looking for premium quality, high SPL vocal and music reproduction in a compact form factor.
“Another important element was the fact that, as a smart active loudspeaker, we can use our GLM software to configure and optimise the S360s to compensate for any detrimental room influences,” he continues. “The Tori event space has a pretty industrial feel with concrete floors and lots of floor-to-ceiling windows, so this was very helpful in ironing out anomalies, especially when the room is being used at full capacity.”
All of the AV systems and the Helvar Dali lighting throughout the building are controlled by the Control4 automation system, via individual touch screens in each of the meeting rooms and the Tori event space for easy operation. Digisähkö implemented the integration between the systems as well as the installation of all of the AV technology.
“We’re very proud of this installation and Miltton are thrilled with the results,” said Hirvonen. “They wanted a modern, high quality, sustainable AV solution that is versatile, easy to operate, and reflects their values as a company. Genelec ticked all the boxes and integrates perfectly into the total solution. It’s a great success all round.”
Genelec S360A High SPL Monitor im Test (DE)
Genelec S360A High SPL Monitor im Test (DE)
