Meta Description: Discover how Geneva’s Centre des Musiques Actuelles (CMA) is revolutionizing audio with its new WSDG-designed 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos control room, seamlessly integrated with a 64-speaker d&b Soundscape system to merge live performance and immersive post-production.
In the heart of Geneva, a city renowned for its cultural richness, the Centre des Musiques Actuelles (CMA) has taken a monumental step into the future of audio. In a bold move that blurs the lines between live performance and studio production, the CMA has unveiled a cutting-edge, compact Dolby Atmos control room. This sophisticated facility, meticulously designed by the world-renowned Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG), represents a new benchmark for immersive audio integration in a live music venue.
A Vision for Sonic Excellence: The CMA Project
The Centre des Musiques Actuelles has long been a cornerstone of Geneva’s vibrant music scene, championing contemporary artists and providing a platform for musical innovation. Their latest project aimed to solve a complex challenge: how to capture the raw energy and spatial intricacies of a live performance and translate them perfectly into an immersive post-production environment. The goal was to create a workflow where artists could perform live in the venue’s 300-seat auditorium and immediately step into a control room to mix that performance in Dolby Atmos, retaining every nuance of the original sound field.
This forward-thinking vision required a unique synergy between live sound reinforcement and studio-grade monitoring. The solution was an ambitious integration of two powerful technologies: a state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos mixing suite and the revolutionary d&b Soundscape system installed in the main auditorium.
WSDG: Engineering the Immersive Bridge
To bring this vision to life, the CMA partnered with WSDG, a global leader in acoustic consulting and architectural design for recording studios and performance spaces. WSDG’s task was to design a control room that was not only acoustically precise for the Dolby Atmos format but could also fit within the spatial constraints of the existing building. The result is a masterclass in acoustic engineering and efficient design.
The WSDG team developed a compact yet sonically isolated control room that provides an ideal critical listening environment. Through careful acoustic modeling, treatment, and architectural planning, they ensured that engineers inside the room could make mixing decisions with absolute confidence, knowing that the audio would translate accurately to other Dolby Atmos systems and, crucially, to the d&b Soundscape system in the adjoining hall.
Inside the 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos Control Room
At the core of this new facility is the Dolby Atmos control room, configured for a $7.2.4$ setup. This configuration includes seven surround speakers at ear level, two subwoofers for low-frequency effects (LFE), and four overhead speakers. This arrangement allows for the precise placement and movement of audio “objects” in a three-dimensional space, creating a truly immersive listening experience that goes far beyond traditional stereo or surround sound.
The room is equipped with top-tier monitoring and mixing equipment, allowing engineers to handle complex post-production tasks, from music mixing to sound design for broadcast. The acoustical integrity of the room, a hallmark of WSDG’s work, guarantees that every frequency is represented accurately, without unwanted reflections or resonances, which is paramount for immersive audio mixing.
Connecting Worlds: The d&b Soundscape Integration
What makes the CMA facility truly groundbreaking is the seamless link between the control room and the auditorium’s 64-speaker d&b Soundscape system. d&b Soundscape is an advanced audio technology that uses a large number of speakers to create a 360-degree sound field, allowing for object-based audio mixing in a live environment. Performers and sounds can be positioned and moved around the space, creating an unparalleled auditory experience for the audience.
The integration allows for a revolutionary workflow:
- Live Capture: A performance in the auditorium can be captured directly, with each audio source recorded as an individual object.
- Immersive Mixing: The multitrack recording can then be brought into the $7.2.4$ control room for mixing in Dolby Atmos.
- Reciprocal Playback: The Dolby Atmos mix can be rendered back through the 64-speaker d&b Soundscape system in the auditorium, allowing artists and engineers to hear their studio mix in a live, large-scale immersive environment.
This bidirectional capability bridges the gap between live production and studio post-production in a way few venues can offer. It provides artists with an unprecedented level of creative control, enabling them to craft intricate sonic landscapes that can be experienced both live and in recorded formats.
The Future of Audio Production in Geneva
The launch of the CMA’s Dolby Atmos control room marks a significant milestone for the Geneva music scene and the broader audio industry. By integrating world-class studio design from WSDG with the pioneering live sound technology of d&b Soundscape, the Centre des Musiques Actuelles has created a unique ecosystem for audio creation. This facility not only enhances the experience for audiences but also provides artists and engineers with powerful new tools to push the boundaries of music production and performance. It stands as a testament to the power of visionary thinking and technical collaboration in the pursuit of the perfect sound.
