The Finnish Ilmatar Windpower deploys at its headquarters the Genelec Smart IP speakers

Ilmatar Windpower, offering wind energy utilities, has sustainable AV solutions, with an IP audio solution of Genelec deployed by 4Business Oy.

Ilmatar Windpower is a different Finnish utility, focused on helping to combat climate change and its effects on society and the environment, con suministro de energía eólica limpia y asequible.

The company has recently made the change to a new headquarters in Helsinki, designed according to sustainable practices with the aim of achieving maximum efficiency and well-being for employees and processes.

In this process they have had the specialist in audiovisual solutions 4Business Oy for the design and installation of new equipment in the new facilities, which included a solution of IP audio smart Genelec.

One of the main problems that had to be addressed from the point of view of audio was the auditory comfort in the open workspaces of Ilmatar. However, one of the problems inherent in any open workspace is the lack of privacy and noise coming from other places in the environment.

Ilmatar wanted to create a working environment as comfortable and efficient as possible in its open plan areas, so the acoustic behavior in these spaces was a fundamental element to treat.

“The lobby and open work areas, as well as meeting rooms and offices are exceptionally well designed from an acoustic point of view, with optimal reverb times -explains Janne Lankinen, of 4Business Oy-. There are also absorbent screens between the tables and background noise caused by ventilation has been minimized”.

However, although these measures help considerably “they can't solve the problem completely. To achieve optimal results we design and implement a system of sound masking tailor-made-up-adds Lankinen- specifically tailored to Ilmatar's requirements, starting with a high-quality audio solution”.

Based on detailed coverage simulations, 4Business implemented a complete audio system from Genelec, with a total of twenty speakers 4420 Smart IP distributed in two separate open spaces. “We select the solution Smart IP of Genelec because it met all customer quality criteria, both sound and material, in addition to being the most sustainable audio solution available”, ensures Lankinen.

Smart IP technology platform delivers power, audio and control through a single CAT cable through a digital audio network -in this case Dante-, which makes them very easy to install and ensures that systems are fully scalable.

“The loudspeaker system of the entire enclosure was measured individually with a system of analysis of the acoustics of the room, that was adjusted with Genelec's Smart IP Manager software to ensure the most transparent audio playback possible-continues Lankinen-. Apart from the technical criteria, the fact that Genelec is an indigenous Finnish brand and manufactures in the country according to sustainable principles was also extremely important for Ilmatar”.

The deployment of the masking signal itself fell on Pyry Survo, sound designer and composer, who planned the signal to be as pleasant and uniform as possible: a background ambient sound that mimics airflow and is specifically created to suit the frequencies of human speech and sound comfortable.

The sound is audible but not intrusive and serves to reduce the intelligibility of speech in the environment. Close conversations or phone calls are no longer a distraction, ensuring the comfort and privacy of all involved.

“A high-quality sound system and careful spatial measurement of the audio signal avoided the 'whoosh effect’, a problem that arises with low-quality speakers and an incorrect type of audio signal -nuances Lankinen-. The masking system generates a signal of multichannel audio, avoiding sound distortion caused by differences in speaker distance that typically occur with mono sound masking systems”.

In addition to sound masking, Ilmatar had another goal: create a unique atmosphere that reflects the spirit of the company of working with nature to preserve it. For the entrance hall a generative soundscape was created that emulates a natural marine environment, with sounds of the sea, seagulls and, Of course, the wind, and was implemented using a WSP multichannel soundscape player and eight active speakers Genelec 4430 Smart IP.

Virtual nature is created with algorithms that mimic the mechanisms and timelines of the natural world, with the aim of making the soundscape as authentic as possible and avoiding playlist-like repetition. A relaxing four-channel forest soundscape has also been designed for the café area, equipped with four Genelec 4430 white.

Mikko Toivanen, Vp. and co-founder of Ilmatar Windpower Oy, does not hide your satisfaction with the result: “our goal was to create the best office in Finland for our staff; making the most of new technologies in terms of convenience and ease of use, and this has been achieved”.

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