New auditorium at Örebro University is equipped with Meyer Sound

The installation carried out has 36 microphones and 26 Ashby‑8C ceiling speakers. They were distributed 28 MM‑4XP by the auditorium, with the UP‑4slim hidden behind a projection screen. At the heart of the system is the D-Mitri digital platform that houses the technology and signal processing behind Meyer Sound Constellation.

The Orebro University in Sweden has inaugurated the latest addition to its USÖ campus (Örebro University Hospital), a modern, technology-connected center for medical training and clinical research. The centerpiece of the complex, designed by architect Klara Arkitekter, is a state-of-the-art auditorium equipped with a Constellation acoustic system from Meyer Sound.

The audiovisual systems for the auditorium and related spaces were designed, developed and installed by Danish consultant and integrator Stouenborg ApS, which also provided acoustic services.

When Örebro University embarked on the final stage of the expansion of its USÖ campus, approached Stouenborg with a strategy inspired by the company's work on Copenhagen's iconic Maersk Tower, headquarters of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences of the University of Copenhagen. “They literally asked us to do that again, but to improve all the things that we thought could be improved with new technology”, explained Anders Jørgensen, project manager in Stouenborg.

A central element of Örebro University's vision for its auditorium was the integration of active acoustics exhibited in the Tower Maersk, which houses the world's largest education-focused Constellation voice elevation system.

“One of the things they were very interested in was the ability to have focused acoustics, where you can focus the sound on a couple of students in a group session and then, with the push of a button, return to questions and answers or voice raising presentation mode”, adds Jørgensen.

The Örebro auditorium with seating capacity 300 people is a versatile space that hosts a variety of events. The Constellation system transforms the acoustic profile of the room with the push of a button, creating sound environments adapted to all types of events, from conferences to musical performances.

The Constellation Voice Lift technology supports natural-sounding presentations and question-and-answer sessions where no one has to worry about microphones. The system has 36 microphones and 26 Ashby‑8C ceiling speakers . Twenty-eight miniature self-powered loudspeakers were distributed MM‑4XP throughout the auditorium, with ultra-compact UP-4slim installation speakers hidden behind a projection screen. At the heart of the system is the D-Mitri digital platform that houses the advanced technology and sophisticated signal processing behind the Constellation..

Active Acoustics is a Powerful Tool to Increase Engagement, says Jørgensen. “One of the things we have seen both at the Maersk Tower and in this project is that students feel more involved in the conference. From my point of view, there are three reasons for this. One is the active acoustic system, the second is the elevation of the seats and the last is the balance of natural and artificial light in the room. If you find the right combination between those three things, “You will get a more active learning space that involves people more.”.

Optimizing room physical properties for active acoustics required creative problem solving. “We have learned from various Constellation projects that the better we control the bass, the better the result of the acoustic system will be. “The architects wanted a solid black roof with a metal surface and we convinced them to make it as a perforated metal surface.”. A drywall was installed over the metal surface, which served as an acoustic absorbing membrane.

Another challenge was avoiding reflections from the large projection screen. “How do we have this active acoustic system?, we wanted to reduce the reverberation time of the entire room to 0,3 seconds, which is even lower than that of a television recording studio”.

Meeting that goal meant that the screen also had to serve as an absorber, an impossible task for the solutions available on the market. “We create a two-layer absorbent, similar to the one we have on the roof, which was a low end one with a high end one on top”, Jørgensen continues, who installed a DA-Lite microperforated screen for maximum transparency and placed the custom absorber behind the screen along with ultra-compact installation microphones and speakers UP-4slim.

Constellation microphones and speakers were installed using GPS coordinates, with a precision of millimeters. “Installing speakers and microphones as close as possible to the design locations ensures the best system performance”, explains Jørgensen. “Being more precise meant we could add more profits”.

In addition to the main auditorium, a multi-purpose restaurant/event space features ultra-compact Meyer Sound UP-4slim installation speakers mounted in the ceiling and on weatherproof columns on the terrace, extending the immersive audio experience outdoors.

Reflecting on the broader implications of Constellation, Jørgensen is excited about the transformative potential of active acoustics in academia and beyond. “My personal wish is to make active acoustics more accessible, not only for higher education institutions, but also for offices and public spaces”, states. “We see that many people are using it and are very happy with it”.