UPI Upgrades Screening Room with Dolby Atmos, Alcons Audio

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Wed, 03/28/2018 - 11:21 -- Nick Dager

As sound technology in the movie industry gets ever more refined, the screening rooms of film distributors also need to stay in step and at the cutting edge of audio technology. At the Amsterdam facility of Universal Pictures International, when it came time to upgrade the room for Dolby Atmos late last year the company contacted digital cinema specialists CinemaNext, whose Edwin de Winter specified the Alcons CRMS solution. Edwin designed the complete system for the room, which was installed by the CinemaNext team. 

UPI's Amsterdam screening room was recently upgraded with Dolby Atmos and Alcons Audio.Opened in 2005, the facility was built to facilitate screenings for the press and industry professionals, rather than UPI having to buy out regular cinema showings for them. 

The system comprises three Alcons CRMS MKII, three-way systems with two CB362 dual 18-inch high output, full size subwoofers, two CB151sl single 15-inch compact shallow subwoofers, flown in the back of the room, plus 28 CCS8 medium format surround units. The system is powered and controlled by Alcons Sentinel3 amplified loudspeaker controllers. 

Delivering the most natural, high definition sound reproduction possible, the CRMS mkII features the patented RBN401 pro-ribbon driver and combines remarkable clarity and intelligibility with high headroom SPL. Each CRMS mkII system features a separate mid-high frequency section, featuring a RBN401 4-inch pro-ribbon driver HF with non-vented 8-inch MF and a vented 15-inch low frequency section, with low power-compression 4-inch voice coil design. It is the ideal choice for high-end mix or screening rooms, post-production facilities, dubbing stages and high quality home cinemas with a room depth of less than 20m (60 feet). 

“The key decision was to consider the dimensions of the screening room in combination with the needs of Dolby Atmos,” says the screening room’s operator Adriaan Bijl. “Edwin and his team specified the Alcons system because they knew it would deliver the best performance of any system.” 

Adriaan says that they are very happy with the system, which has received positive comments from those attending screenings. And it is not only the latest movies that sound better. 

“Dolby Atmos is of course a real improvement. However, traditional 5.1 and later 7.1 mixes also sound much better with the Alcons system,” he says. “We still do 35mm film presentations as well and the Alcons system makes them sound terrific. Edwin says that we have the best audio system ever built for an analogue film set-up.” 

Alcons Audio  www.alcons.audio

CinemaNext www.cinemanext.nl

United Pictures Internation www.universalpictures.nl

 

 

 

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