4430A Smart IP Installation Speaker

The Finnish Music Hall of Fame is Helsinki’s most recent and innovative cultural landmark. Located in the newly redeveloped Pasila district of the Finnish capital, already noted for its vibrant street art, the museum is attracting visitors in droves thanks to the unique concepts that have been deployed to depict the history of Finnish music.

Genelec was approached from the outset to be a part of this exciting project, the design and installation of which was awarded to renowned Nordic AV integration specialists, Bright.

“Genelec is the world leading company in professional audio monitoring,” says Music Hall of Fame board member, Olli Ilmolahti. “We knew that Genelec has been researching and developing products over many decades and already has much experience in this field.

"We wanted to have the best of the best, so Genelec was the perfect choice."

As the Finnish Music Hall of Fame, we were not ready to make any compromises concerning the listening environment and sound quality. We wanted to have the best of the best, so Genelec was the perfect choice to be a part of the story of Finnish music throughout history.”

The new music museum offers a multisensory experience for all music lovers covering genres from three centuries - from symphonies to Finnish rap music to folk and heavy rock plus everything in between - made possible by utilising the newest technologies available. The aim was to provide an interactive museum experience at a whole new level, offering visitors the chance to experience full musical immersion and a dive into the textures of music. Virtual technology enables visitors to embark on spectacular musical journeys whilst modern sound technology permits them to explore the roles that various instruments and voices play in a symphony orchestra, a mixed choir and a military band. Visitors can make their voice heard by performing on Finland’s finest stages, from the Helsinki Music Centre to Olavinlinna Castle on a virtual karaoke tour, and much more besides.

Genelec’s new Smart IP platform was an absolutely key element in making all of this a reality. Genelec worked with Bright and various content creators to establish the optimum audio design for each space and each exhibit. Bright deployed 124 of Genelec’s new 4430A two-way, active installation loudspeakers throughout the museum - the first model to incorporate Genelec’s ground-breaking Smart IP technology. The Smart IP platform enables IP networking via both Dante and AES67, and derives power via both PoE and PoE+ Power-over-Ethernet formats. As well as receiving both power and audio-over-IP, the 4430’s rear panel CAT connector also allows access to Genelec’s Smart IP Manager – a sophisticated downloadable software tool running on Windows 10 that allows installers to configure an almost unlimited number of rooms, zones, speakers and audio channels, and includes device discovery, versatile room equalisation, system organisation and status monitoring. External control via third-party hardware, software or house automation is also possible.

“We were responsible for designing a digital experience system with the possibility to change exhibitions efficiently when required,” says Bright’s Head of Installation, Santtu Sipilä, who worked closely with Genelec throughout the design and installation process. “As this was the Finnish Music Hall of Fame, some extra attention was needed regarding the sound quality. We investigated several other music museums to ensure that our solution would deliver the best sound quality of them all.

The decision to use Genelec was clearly a determining factor in achieving that goal, and the possibility of using the new networked loudspeakers made it even easier. The Smart IP technology enables us to drive each loudspeaker independently, and that opens up a wealth of opportunities for immersive sound experiences.”

In order to ensure the best possible audio experience, particular attention was paid to the acoustics of the museum during the design stage: “Even the best loudspeakers are no good if the acoustics don’t work!” says Santtu with a smile. “We also had to pay careful attention to the network to be able to run perfectly synchronised sound and video at the same time. Again, the Smart IP platform played an important part in making this work successfully.”

The Board members are thrilled with the results, and customer feedback confirms the success of the project. “The Finnish Music Hall of Fame is full of technology - virtual reality and digital technology are used to convey music, video, audio, sound effects and live music. I strongly believe that the sound world and acoustics form the most important and memorable experience at the Music Museum from the customer’s point of view,” says Olli Ilmolahti. “Genelec´s new Smart IP technology was a perfect choice for us, offering a complete solution with the highest quality and flexibility which means savings in working time, maintenance and investment costs. We achieved everything we wanted and more, and the immersive sound world and listening environment in certain areas of the Fame Music Museum - as well as the neutral, transparent sound throughout - is something to be experienced. Customer feedback has been nothing but positive.”

Mikko Vanni, chairman of the board for the museum, agrees wholeheartedly. “We wanted to use the most advanced technology available, and all the technological solutions devised by Genelec and Bright have been successful. We have been able to leverage this by informing the media and our main target groups that we have a very advanced Genelec solution (including an immersive voice system) combined with other sophisticated technology, which has given added value to the content credibility of the museum. We think that the Genelec system is amazing - the vocal reproduction throughout the venue is truly special. We set out to achieve a level above what is already out there, and we’ve done it. We’re delighted with the results.”

Designed by multi-award-winning architects, Henning Larsen AS, Moesgaard Museum (MOMU) is one of Denmark’s leading attractions. Ingeniously designed as an integrated landscape feature, built into and rising up from the rolling hills overlooking Aarhus Bay, MOMU is a vibrant house of culture and knowledge that blends ancient artefacts with modern technology to bring the past alive.

The latest exhibition, “Bound for disaster – Pompeii and Herculaneum,” brings to life the events that unfolded around the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, killing an estimated 2,500 people. The sound design for this spectacular new audio-visual experience was created by exhibition soundscape specialist, Søren Bendixen of Audiotect, and is built entirely around Genelec’s new 4430 Smart IP loudspeakers. Combined with the scenography, video mapping and lighting, the soundscape immerses visitors in the predisaster atmosphere of the lively city of Pompeii, before leading them into the postapocalyptic scenes that followed.

"In terms of installation, the Smart IP concept opens up a world of possibilities."

“We are using a total of 51 Genelec 4430 loudspeakers, all fed by discrete channels over a Dante network with Ubiquiti Edge switches,” explains Johan Ahrenfeldt who is responsible for exhibition technology at MOMU. “We’re using QLab software for the playback and a Dante-compatible RME Digiface interface to run a total of 54 discrete channels flawlessly. Various audio formats are used in the sound design, including Ambisonics and Quadrophonic sound, to provide a fully immersive experience.”

Ahrenfeldt is no stranger to Genelec, having used many 4000 Series and 8330A loudspeakers on previous exhibitions, but he says that the new 4430s introduce a new paradigm to the world of installed sound solutions. “I’m not talking about sound quality – the 4430s meet the same exacting standards as the rest of the Genelec range – but in terms of installation, the Smart IP concept opens up a world of possibilities. The most significant benefit is the flexibility and the functionality added by the network-based infrastructure and the use of PoE+ for powering the speakers. This means lower installation costs, easier, tidier and more flexible cabling, the possibility to add or move speakers late in the exhibition building process, and the ability to monitor and control the speakers remotely. All of these factors made a big difference to us when installing our newest exhibition.”

“Many of the loudspeakers are concealed by the scenography,” he continues, “but in other places they are mounted directly on the walls. However, they blend in very well thanks to the harmonious design of the Genelec enclosures and a new feature implemented in the Smart IP Manager software which allows us to dim the brightness of the on/off LED indicator in the front.

"Despite the openness of the space, the transitions between the different areas work very well."

Ahrenfeldt recalls that “Bound for disaster” was not without its challenges in terms of audio, in particular due to the very open exhibition areas which were delineated by virtue of their sound designs. “One of the main obstacles was to minimise the sonic overlap between the different areas. We achieved this by using many sound sources (loudspeakers) so we could benefit from their sound directivity and cover the required areas with a low SPL per speaker. Genelec’s superior sound quality with crystal clear definition and intelligibility even at very low levels makes this possible. Despite the openness of the space, the transitions between the different areas work very well.”

“Our approach is to consider the sound design as a holistic entity where the different sound designs relating to specific areas of the exhibition are edited, mixed and synchronised on site into the main sound design covering the whole exhibition,” he continues. “The danger, of course, is ending up with ‘audio soup’ but careful design and Genelec’s superior clarity and definition have helped to create a truly memorable visitor experience.”

“The new 4430 fits perfectly into the market of exhibition technology due to the use of flexible infrastructure, on-board amplification, and the minimal need for cabling – but still delivering class leading sound reproduction,” notes Ahrenfeldt in conclusion. “The reduced cable requirement is often of greatest value in relation to implementing exhibition technology, particularly in old buildings which often are classified as protected cultural heritage. This isn’t the case at Moesgaard which is a new building, but it still makes life a whole lot easier! I’m delighted with this new solution from Genelec and look forward to them expanding the range in the near future.”

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.”