A range of high performance Genelec loudspeakers and Dolby Atmos systems were recently installed at Ubisoft Stockholm’s high-tech new office location in Hagastaden, Sweden.
Having helped find the new premises, IT and project manager at Ubisoft Sweden, Niklas Domander, engaged systems integrator and consultant This Is Who I Am (Tiwia) and systems integrator Logic IT to assist with acoustics and the technical installation.
The new office space features a range of specialised rooms and facilities including a multipurpose Dolby Atmos room that can be used for demos, presentations, screenings and other events. There is also an Atmos recording studio, a second 5.1 studio, a video editing suite, plus a central atrium that serves as a reception and social area capable of holding company-wide gatherings and events. Genelec loudspeaker systems have been installed throughout.
Logic IT was responsible for the installation in the main atrium reception area plus the kitchen. Based on Genelec’s 4000 Series installation loudspeakers, the audio system comprises two compact 4020s, and six slightly larger and more powerful 4030s that are distributed throughout the space.
Logic IT also set up the Dante solution enabling music playback throughout this zone via a Yamaha MTX5-D matrix processor, and connected Ubisoft’s Teams solution with microphones to the same loudspeaker system for the large meeting setup.
The two recording studios were less straightforward. The main 7.1.4 Atmos studio is equipped with Genelec smart active loudspeakers. Three 8331 three-way coaxial models are set into the front wall as LCRs, supplemented with four 8330 two-way models for surrounds, and a further four for overheads. Completing the setup is a powerful 7360 smart active subwoofer.
The second studio – every bit as bijou as the first – has been equipped as a 5.1 recording/listening space. Five 8330s are installed as surrounds, with a compact 7350 subwoofer handling the low frequencies.
However, the jewel in the crown is the 9.2.4 Atmos multipurpose room complete with a huge screen. Tiwia installed three powerful 8350 models behind the screen as LCRs, and ten 8340 models throughout the room as surrounds and overheads. A pair of 7370 subwoofers complete the setup. All models integrate closely with Genelec’s GLM software which Tiwia used to create a fully optimised immersive listening environment.
Additionally, the room is connected to the sound studios via a Focusrite RedNet Dante system. An HDMI extender in one of the two floor boxes enables people to hook up their laptops in the middle of the room and carry on working, for maximum flexibility.
Pär Hörnell, CEO Tiwia, said: “Achieving suitable acoustics in such a small space is tricky. The rooms had already been extensively treated during the construction phase, but we ended up having to move the computers out completely and run USB-C cables via fibre to make the spaces even quieter. In these instances, Genelec’s GLM calibration software enabled us to address some low frequency challenges and create a first-class working environment.”
Istvan Stenberg, head of audio at Ubisoft Stockholm, added: “It’s really improved and streamlined our workflow, from the analysis of reference material in the audio room, through to recording and feedback – now much easier and quicker thanks to the connection of both studios via our RedNet Dante system. With Genelecs in both the control room and in the recording room we can play back the recorded material to the artists and get instant feedback that is precise and sonically correct – which is a huge time saver.”
He concluded: “An initial mix in the 7.1.4 room allows us to see how the mix translates across a variety of channel formats, hardware and environments. And then we move into the multipurpose room and convert it into a mixing stage – we get a big screen, lots of air for frequencies to travel, great acoustics and the Genelec 9.2.4 system. Since all our studios and speakers are set up using GLM, our mixes translate seamlessly across different environments. Additionally, the consistency between Genelec models helps maintain cohesion throughout the entire audio production process.”
