ROUND TABLE
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What are some of the most common acoustic challenges when encountering vastly different environments, and how do you approach solving them? Fabio Kaiser The common challenges that arise revolve around versatility and architectural integrity. Historic venues were typically designed to serve one specific musical style. Today, however, they’re expected to accommodate a much broader repertoire, often revealing challenges such as insufficient projection of singers against larger orchestral set-ups, or significant variations between different audience areas (for instance, stalls versus boxes). On the other hand, large multipurpose halls often exhibit relatively dry acoustics, which provide insufficient support for unamplified music while performing very well for amplified productions. Variable and dynamic acoustic solutions are the key to transforming these spaces into adaptable, high- Amadeus Active Acoustics system and its geometric approach. Instead of superimposing a second environment, we change the acoustic properties based on the existing room’s unique signature. This means leveraging a detailed 3D model of the space to calculate early reflections and natural reverberation extension. We then create the customised presets, like symphony or voice lift, that allow the venue to switch instantly between ideal acoustic settings for concerts, lectures or rock shows, ensuring optimal sound quality uniformly across the space without compromising the original architecture. performance environments. Our solution centres on the
How have advances in loudspeaker design and digital signal processing changed how you plan and execute live sound in recent years?
Brandon Heinz Adapting to unique environments is one of the greatest challenges in live sound technology. Large-scale venues too often mean excessive reverberation, reflections from hard surfaces and difficulties maintaining consistent coverage across long distances. Meanwhile, Heritage venues present their own unique challenges. We work with many houses of worship where their strict architectural limitations and the reflective materials used can obscure speech intelligibility. At Renkus-Heinz, we tackle these issues through precision, control and visually discreet loudspeakers. Our digitally steerable Iconyx arrays enable us to aim sound exactly where it’s needed toward the audience, while avoiding reflective surfaces as much as possible. Beam steering greatly improves clarity, especially in reverberant or acoustically sensitive spaces due to the incoherent precision and control. With both our Omnibeam algorithm and Rhaon software, we can quickly create optimised coverage patterns that are tailored to each venue to ensure even sound distribution. Jeremiah Karni The biggest hurdle is always trying to maintain direct sound versus reflected indirect sound for the audience, while navigating the challenges of loudspeaker placement. Architectural choices are what typically define where speakers get placed.
Jeremiah Karni Adamson has made a lot of advancements in product design over the last four decades, beginning at the source by designing high output. This goes hand-in-hand with our highly optimised waveguides that allow us to start on a sound footing. Also, being able to map this in 3D has changed the way our industry specifies projects. Brandon Heinz With innovations such as our Complex Conic horns and Coentrant transducer, engineers can now achieve powerful, full-range sound from small, visually discreet systems, freeing them from traditional limitations of size, placement and acoustics. The introduction of the Iconyx steerable column in 2004 was a turning point, giving engineers precise control over sound direction through digital beam steering. Fast-forward to today, and our fifth-generation Iconyx systems, along with Omnibeam technology, lets engineers digitally aim sound directly where it’s needed, removing the trial and error once required. Planning live sound has become software-driven and predictive. Using Omnibeam and Rhaon control software, integrators can model a room, define audience areas and automatically generate optimised beam patterns. This has dramatically reduced set-up time and minimised the need for acoustic treatment.
Historic music venues were
originally designed to serve one specific music style
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