Lighting the way

On the main approach to the city from Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport sits an impressive architectural edifice – the Audi Lighthouse. The name is suggestive of the building’s role as a brand beacon to the 45 million cars that pass the site each year and it signals that Audi means serious business in Australia. As the leading premium car brand in Europe, and following five years of record sales in Australia, it is clear that the manufacturer is keen to emulate its European number one position within the Southern Hemisphere.

To help achieve its goal, Audi has been constructing buildings around the world based on its global ‘Audi Terminal’ architectural concept. But the Sydney edition is the largest yet, standing at an impressive eight storeys and encompassing over 16,000-sq-m of floor space. Costing A$50 million (US$44 million), it is much more than just a car showroom, also housing the manufacturer’s Australian head office, a cafe, a retail store, a business lounge, a children’s play area and a rooftop barbeque area.

Globally, each Audi Terminal follows similar design principles and must deliver the same high-end brand experience to its customers. To that end, Audi has insisted that the audio experience is first class, and invited local system integrators to tender designs on that basis.

Headed by Alan Moffat, with Alex Smyth as the System Designer, Silverwater based Credible Audio Visual Solutions (CAVS) was awarded the contract to supply and install the audio system into what was essentially a cavern of concrete and glass. With ceilings in the main showroom standing at over 6m in height, outstanding natural daylight is provided by floor to ceiling glass, certainly adding a further challenge for CAVS.

Adding a further challenge was the multipurpose requirement for the audio system, which is primarily intended to meet background music needs, providing high quality ambient music evenly throughout the showroom and several other areas of the building, all of which boast different acoustic characteristics. Audi stipulated the need to avoid hot spots and dead spots, as the sound quality had to reflect the brand’s premium image. Furthermore, the audio system also had to deliver high quality music and clear speech in four main locations for a wide variety of functions ranging from small training sessions to full-blown events for up to 600 guests. Naturally, aesthetics were also an important part of the brief, meaning that traditional boxed speaker cabinets could not be used in the main showroom area. Additionally, any ceiling mounted speakers had to entirely flush, not interfering with the smooth lines of the ceiling design.

Finally, the control interface had to be simple and intuitive, meaning multiple authorised users could control the audio when and where they wanted to. As Audi’s PC network runs off a terminal server that allows users to log on to the network from any location using a smart card, a requirement was added that the audio system should also be able to be controlled from the same locations. Coupled with a Biamp Nexia signal processor, a Biamp DaVinci system was selected for its ability to be customised with regard not just to controllability, but also its look and feel.

‘We went with the Nexia system because of its networkable control surface,’ offers system designer Mr Smyth. ‘The DaVinci drag and drop control software is supplied so nothing else is needed, simplifying the setup and saving the client time and money.’ The open network architecture of the Nexia processing in Lighthouse is remotely accessed via PC software over Ethernet and NexLink digital audio linking, then controlled via dedicated software screens and RS-232 control systems.

Equally critical was the choice of loudspeakers, both for delivering the required sound quality in a highly reflective environment and to meet Audi’s requirement that no speaker enclosures were to be visible.

Ultimately, a decision to flush mount the speakers on the 6m height ceiling was agreed. The CAVS team turned to TOA, reasoning that the manufacturer’s product line includes not only a range of wide-dispersion ceiling speakers but, perhaps more importantly, a flush mount subwoofer in the shape of the HB-1.

TOA F-2852C speakers were also selected in the design owing to their controlled 120-degree dispersion, allowing CAVS to design accurate speaker placement for even distribution with minimal reflections. A total of 29 speakers have ultimately been installed into each of the two main showroom areas, configured in rows of four. Each row can also be individually optimised via the Nexia DSP for the best overall result.

Meanwhile, the main showroom area – where the majority of events are held – now boasts eight TOA HB-1 subwoofers to ensure that even at background levels the music covers a wide frequency range. Also installed within the space are 6.5-inch F-2852C speakers, providing full-range sound, and a total of nine TOA A-2240 amplifiers outputting 240W per channel to power the entire system.

As is the norm today, the primary source for the background music is an iPod, stocked exclusively with Audi-approved tunes. With a pair of balanced inputs in the main display area for use during functions, together with AKG hand held and lapel wireless microphones, functions and events are fully catered for. ‘We went with AKG for their reliability and durability,’ furthered Mr Smyth. ‘We’ve had good results with them and wanted to make sure Audi didn’t call us up one night, halfway through an important function.’

Mr Smyth and his team have also created a unique ‘Audi’ interface that fits in with Audi’s brand image whilst offering just the right amount of control to the various users who need to use the system. Facility managers are able to control music levels in each of the seven zones as well as the two microphones in the main showroom. Some areas, such as the café, also have local control over volume via a wall panel.

During commissioning, Mr Smyth controlled the reverberant room acoustics using the Nexia DSP in combination with Smaart 6 real time analysis. The result was an impressively flat response with a maximum sound pressure level of 102dB, and the system is already earning praise from visitors during special events when volume levels are cranked up beyond the BGM norm. It is arguably the biggest testament to Mr Smyth’s work that dedicated sound systems no longer need to be hired for such events – the ceiling-mounted system is delivering even SPLs as required.

Audi dealer development consultant Grit Nijhof counts himself among the new system’s fans. Having visited the Lighthouse from Audi Germany to project manage the development of the new facility, he describes himself as very pleased with the results. ‘We've already held several events in the building, such as conferences and parties with stage performances and I have to say that the system runs perfectly. The sound is excellent and the simple control interface makes it very easy to use.’

The bright interior of the Lighthouse awakens the senses of all of its visitors, with good coffee in Audi Cafe Bavaria, the adrenalin fuelled Audi R8 and unexpected BGM enlightenment thanks to the efforts of CAVS.

www.audicentresydney.com.au

www.crediblegroup.com.au