Harman provides surround sound to Auckland's Stardome Planetarium

The New Zealander's movie theater and live events Stardome Observatory & Planetarium has been updated with the immersive sound system of Harman, composed of the solutions of JBL Pro, Crown, Bss and Soundcraft.

Open to the public at 1967 as an observatory, it wasn't until 1997 when Stardome became the largest planetarium in New Zealand. It has a panoramic theater equipped with a full dome concave screen, laser projectors and angled seats IMAX to offer a 360º visual experience.

One of his most recent projects has been the renovation of the now outdated sound system to offer a wider range of events, thus duplicating both its cinema and live event function.

To provide this surround sound experience to your visitors, Stardome organizers hired New Zealand audiovisual integrator Avid Automation and JPRO, Harman Pro distributor in this country, to equip the planetarium.

The surround sound solution consists of speakers JBL Pro next-generation, Amplifiers Crown connected to the network, signal processors Bss and a digital mixing console Soundcraft.

"The main use of the system is to provide a cinema experience 5.1 Immersive, but the theater also functions as a live performance venue for small bands and events," he explains. Darian Sundar, director of Avid Automation-, which required the handling of a larger SPL to accommodate live presentations”.

For the cinema's surround sound system, high-power two-way speakers have been selected JBL AM7215/95, that bring high audio quality to the left and right channels, while a single speaker AM7215/26 with a 120-wave swivel guide×60º gives coverage to the critical central channel.

Avid Automation chose compact two-way speakers JBL AC18/95 for enclosing channels, since its box design allows installation near the ceiling. The result is a natural and fluid immersive audio experience throughout the hearing area.

To this are added three subwoofers JBL VTX B18 of 18″, that provide a solid base of bass for an experience that shakes the ground.

“AE Series speakers are manufactured specifically for theatrical sound design and performing arts installations, so we knew they would fit perfectly into the scope of this project.”, Ensures Paul Edlin, JPRO Sales Manager.

Two power amplifiers Crown DriveCore CDi 4 | 1200BL feed the system, with preloaded JBL speaker tunings that allow amplifiers and speakers to work in harmony for the best possible sound.

Amplifiers interact with a signal processor BSS BLU-806 over the network audio protocol dante, providing flexible routing and signal control, including the ability to interact with the site's fire evacuation system.

To provide operators with practical control over sound in the theatre, Avid Automation and JPRO chose the digital mixing console Soundcraft Si Performer.

A Dante interface card allows the mixer to send output signals to the backend BSS and Crown, while a Soundcraft Mini Stagebox 16 provides additional stage inputs for larger performances.

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