It’s no secret the entertainment industry knows the value technology plays in its business. It seems that museums, too, are picking up on the benefits video media can have.

So long are the days of archaic film strips and dull exhibits. Modern museums are implementing top-notch audio/video equipment to help educate and engage visitors.

Singapore’s Maritime Xperiential Museum, for example, recently had Electrosonic outfit its Typhoon Theater.

Setting the Scene
Bringing the story of the Belitung shipwreck from 1,100 years ago into the present is no small feet. For starters, the experience begins with a pre-show made possible in part to a Christie DHD800 1-chip DLP rear-screen projector with mirror bounce, along with a pair of Renkus-Heinz ICONYX line arrays and subwoofers. To further help visitors feel like they are on the pier in China’s Guangzhou harbor, a Doremi Labs Nugget HD video player was utilized as the video server.

For the main show, a Sony SRX-T420 4K SXRD projector with a fish-eye lens to fill a 180 degree space about six meters high was installed. The projector was mounted on an isolated platform on the catwalk to eliminate vibration. A DVS Cine4K server supports the Sony projector; a 3D Perception’s system handles image processing and warping. To create a 360 degree experience, four High End Systems DL.3 moving-head projectors cover the back of the theater wall screen surface with effects projections.

To go along with the mesmerizing images, Electrosonic installed five Renkus-Heinz speakers atop the wall screen pointing down, five on the front platform angled up and bouncing off the screen and four on the catwalks for left and right surround. A Peavey MediaMatrix digital signal processor is used to control the audio components.

Overcoming Obstacles
Electrosonic’s Design Consulting team, working with senior project engineer Niel Overton, created a mock of the theater before starting the installation. The step proved to be a valuable one.

Electrosonic project manager Thursby Pierce noted the unique configuration of the theater made for some audio challenges.

“There was no depth to do a screen with speakers behind it,” said Pierce, “and sound bounces all over a round room.”

To remedy the situation, acoustic consultants Sowden and Associates were brought in to skin the concrete space with acoustic insulation and install the speakers in specific locations.

“Everything was designed for flexibility, expandability and growth,” notes Pierce.  “All of the Electrosonic AV racks are in one main control room, but the system was engineered to incorporate extra video and audio storage space on the servers. The AV show controller is expandable, and there is plenty of room in the racks for additional equipment.”

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Maxine Giza

Maxine is an assistant web editor for commercialintegrator.com. She graduated from Emerson College with a M.A. in journalism and Endicott College with a B.S. in communications. She joined EH Publishing in 2011.

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