Your browser is out-of-date!

Update your browser to view this website correctly. Update my browser now

×

Ron Lagerlof Picks Sommer Cable For Meyer Sound Installs

Ron Lagerlof of Visioneering Design has specified Sommer Cable for all of their installations of the Meyer Sound cinema systems and powered surround speakers with IntelligentDC technology.

Former Jay Leno Stage Features Dolby Atmos Cinema

Pictured backstage with the Meyer Sound MINA Line Arrays are (L-R) Ron Lagerlof of Visioneering Design and Andy Potvin of Dolby Laboratories. Photo by David Goggin.

Ron Lagerlof of Visioneering Design has specified Sommer Cable for all of their installations of the Meyer Sound cinema systems and powered surround speakers with IntelligentDC technology for the award-winning Dolby(r) sound technology Dolby Atmos(r), which moves audio around the theatre, even overhead, with amazing richness and depth. A recent application included Meyer Sound MINA line array loudspeakers at the new 4K cinema in the former Jay Leno Stage in Burbank.

Lagerlof explained, “Our challenge on this project was to install a cinema experience in a large live venue in a former soundstage. The specification was to be Dolby Atmos 4K/3D, with full-blown projection suitable for premieres and red carpet showings. I spent time with David Gray of Dolby to figure out the best way to cover this very large room. Dolby had a lot of experience with large rooms and in particular live venue type rooms like the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. I’ve done quite a number of theaters and screening rooms with Meyer Sound, but it was pretty obvious that we weren’t going to be able to do the standard theatrical installation.”

Lagerlof next visited Meyer Sound headquarters in Berkeley, CA, where different monitoring schemes were discussed. “What we landed on was MINA line arrays with the new Meyer HMS-12 and HMS-15 surround loudspeakers, fully capable of producing enough sound pressure level in a venue of this size.”

The Meyer Sound line arrays are configured as five screen channels: left, center, right, left extra and right extra, situated behind the largest roll down screen that Stewart Filmscreen has built to date, with a 45-foot wide by 25′ tall viewing area. The MINA line arrays are separate from the sound system installed specifically for live performance. The cinema loudspeakers are behind a permanent scrim upstage, mounted on chain motor hoists so that they can be lowered for service.  

Lagerlof continues, “The newer speakers that Meyer Sound has been developing use what they call IntelligentDC technology. Each speaker has its own built-in amplifier, but unlike most other self-powered speakers that need 110 line voltage from the wall, these speakers take 48 volts from an external power supply.

“It is very important with this IntelligentDC system to have a cable that is able to get power and audio in the same jacket and not have interference from the voltage side into the audio side. Sommer Cable has been making cable for a number of years that does this, and it’s similar to a cable that’s used a lot in lighting or control systems, but it has a heavier gauge power conductor.”

Sommer’s Monolith Power/DMX cable is shielded by a tinned helical copper mesh. Both the power cable and the balanced pairs have their own jackets for extra safety and easy wiring for DMX controlled lights, powered speakers, and other devices that require power and analog or digital audio feeds. Sommer’s Kolorith cable was specially designed to fit the EN3 Switchcraft connector for the IntelligentDC technology loudspeaker series from Meyer Sound, transmitting audio and power in one cable. The Meyer Sound MPS-488HP IntelligentDC power supplies are more than 150 feet from the speakers and the heavier gauge Sommer Cable allows for the longer runs necessary, with enough power to handle the Atmos peak levels.

Lagerlof has often worked with Andy Potvin, senior staff engineer with Dolby Laboratories, on post-production facilities in LA such as DreamWorks, Lightstorm, Bad Robot and numerous other private facilities. Steve Bush from Meyer Sound visited the site to commission the line array, which requires specific calibration for each of the individual speakers. The new Burbank theater line array consists of two low-frequency cabinets and seven cabinets that handle the mid range and high-frequency range.

In this particular installation, the Meyer Sound array can hit the height areas on the mezzanine level as well as aiming down towards the seats in the main part of the auditorium. By tweaking the various components in the array, it is possible for all signals to arrive at the same time and at the same SPL level to each of the seating areas. More energy is sent to the back of the theater at the upper range of the mezzanine seats, and then is tapered down to get smooth coverage at lower levels for the seats on the main floor of the theater.  

“I’m very pleased that we were originally introduced to the project manager, Jay Spencer, and recommended by Geoff Burdick of Lightstorm Entertainment, to do a project of this size,” says Lagerlof. “It’s a very unusual project, not your typical screening room or theater venue. Just the fact that we can roll with a lot of different components in the system tied in with a live performance system as well as the cinema aspect of it really makes it a unique theater.”

Sommer Cable America offers a free catalog with over 12,000 products for the A/V installation, pro-audio, broadcast, video, music, IT and HiFi market. Free 1ft. cable samples are also available.

ABOUT SOMMER CABLE
Sommer Cable Germany is an enterprising development and manufacturing company with a catalog of over 12,000 products for the A/V installation, pro-audio, broadcast, video, music, IT and HiFi market, with business partners in over 50 countries. In 2015, Sommer Cable America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sommer Cable Germany, was established in Santa Rosa, CA by new CEO Martin Ucik. The new company supplies the North American markets with Sommer’s wide range of innovative and high quality products. 707.200.4020
http://sommercable.com/en

ABOUT DOLBY ATMOS
Dolby Atmos delivers moving audio-sound that can be precisely placed and moved anywhere in three-dimensional space, including overhead. It brings entertainment alive all around the audience in a powerfully immersive and emotive experience. Since its introduction in the cinema in 2012, Dolby Atmos has been embraced by all the major Hollywood studios, 14 Academy Award(r) winning directors, and 27 Academy Award winning sound mixers, among others.
To learn more about Dolby Atmos, visit http://www.dolby.com/Atmos

ABOUT MEYER SOUND
Family owned and operated since 1979, Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc. designs and manufactures high-quality, self-powered sound reinforcement loudspeakers, digital audio systems, passive and active acoustic systems, cinema sound systems, and sound measurement tools for the professional audio industry. Founded by John and Helen Meyer, the company has grown to become a leading worldwide supplier of systems for theatres, arenas, stadiums, theme parks, convention centers, houses of worship, and touring concert sound rental operations. Meyer Sound’s main office and manufacturing facility are located in Berkeley, California, with field offices and authorized distributors located throughout the USA and around the world. Meyer Sound is a registered trademark of Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved.  http://www.meyersound.com

Close