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Glyndebourne opera house upgrades with TiMax

East Sussex-based opera house Glyndebourne has integrated TiMax SoundHub spatial processing into its audio infrastructure in a landmark upgrade. Jonathan Moss, Head of Sound and Video, led the installation which marked the first stage of a long-term move to harness object-based spatialisation.

TiMax was central to the venue’s audio redesign. Moss’ dialogue with Robin Whittaker of TiMax was undertaken across a period of four years and well ahead of any further reinforcement considerations. “With a number of upgrades coinciding, we had the rather unique opportunity to look at things holistically”, explains Moss. “We were able to assess where we wanted to end up. TiMax is one of the first steps, not the end of the journey.”

A traditional proscenium system comprises EM Acoustics’ Reference series - R12s with R8 infills and S215 subs at balcony level, supported by a network of permanently installed Reference series loudspeakers throughout the auditorium. With Dante providing the audio backbone for EM Acoustics DQ20s, driven via an SSL Live console, the TiMax integration amounted to little more than a rack mount connected the network by two cables.

During a busy summer season, dedicated sound sessions are rare, and the manual delay previously needed for spatial work was operationally costly. With a timetable comprised of morning fully supported technical rehearsal, an afternoon changeover for a public evening show, then an overnight reset for the next day, Moss confirms: “We can achieve what we need within the sessions we’ve got, rather than being limited by the time it takes to do things manually.”

The audio enhancement was immediate with spatial imaging applied only to the proscenium loudspeakers, TiMax tightened image definitions inward by roughly a metre on each side, pulling the perceived source firmly to the stage while mapping the stage area. Moss described the shift as “PA sound becoming hi-fi sound”.

Following system commissioning by TiMax product support engineer Gerry Marrone, the Glyndebourne sound team set about using the SoundHub for the purpose of A/B testing, initially preserving the original set up as a cue in TiMax. “We quickly ditched that”, says Moss. “It was very clear the new sound was just better. Currently TiMax is in the background as a system processor, without adding specific spatial elements to our current shows. We’re taking advantage of it - whether its physical improvements, the psychoacoustic improvements - without anyone really knowing it’s there.”

The transparency extends beyond opera. For presentations and talks in the intentionally reverberant auditorium, TiMax enables the sound to flourish within the room’s acoustic influence at lower SPLs. According to Moss, the audio infrastructure is future-proofed. Integration with the SSL Live console adds flexibility via OSC and control panels allow any channel to be designated as a spatial object on demand.

Full object-based spatialisation is built into the workflow, with spatial presets, tracked movement paths and surround distribution, awaiting the expanded infrastructure planned for the auditorium over coming years.

(Photo: Sam Stephenson)

www.timaxspatial.com

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