The latest addition to Australia's post-production industry is Hype Republic, a Gold Coast facility built to empower filmmakers to create the highest quality work. Helping it to achieve this aim is a Genelec 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos monitoring system complemented by Genelec GLM Loudspeaker Manager software.
"Hype Republic contacted us asking for an immersive solution for their new post-production studio," said Paul Newcomb, business development manager at Studio Connections, Genelec's Australian distribution partner. "They required an audio solution that would complement their film/video cinematography department and was capable of delivering 7.1.4 immersive playback. This studio would be open to many creative specialists, and as such, the gear needed to be robust and reliable. The solution was a Genelec 7.1.4 Smart Active Monitoring system consisting of 8340s, 8330s and a 7360 subwoofer.
"The reason for going with the Genelec Smart Active Monitoring range is that each monitor and subwoofer could be independently calibrated relative to its position in the room. Installing monitors in the ceiling can present many acoustic obstacles. Not only do they need to be frequency-neutral, but their phase needs to be aligned with all the other monitors in the array. GLM calibration software is an invaluable tool in this situation, and Genelec's unrivaled range of mounting options makes it so easy to install an immersive system in any room."
Indeed, Genelec's GLM software is credited as the critical element in ensuring the success of the installation. "GLM was the key to bringing this system together," stated Newcomb. "It just works flawlessly, and even faster now with the latest GLM 4.1 update. I know GLM has been in existence for a long time now, way before immersive audio was a thing, but it somehow seems like it was actually designed specifically with this in mind!"
The benefit that Hype Republic has seen from using Genelec monitors and GLM in its immersive setup is that each of the 11 monitors and the subwoofer are precisely calibrated for their specific position in the room. GLM sends a full-frequency audio sweep through each monitor and subwoofer, and analyzes the acoustics of the room via the GLM reference microphone and network adaptor. With the response of the room's acoustics recorded, GLM software aligns the frequency response, playback level, distance delay and subwoofer phase of the entire monitoring setup.
"As with any GLM calibration, the results speak for themselves, and this was no different," said Newcomb. "The studio sounds amazing. Genelec Smart Active Monitoring systems provide not only the sonic quality, but the confidence that mixes will sound great, everywhere. We believe the systems fulfills the client's brief, sounds fantastic and will be providing uncompromised sound quality for many years into the future."
