Sonic Laboratory
Facilities
The Sonic Laboratory
CINEMA FOR THE EAR
The Sonic Laboratory at the Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC) could best be thought of as a 'cinema for the ear' - a specialist acoustic space designed to provide a unique and immersive listening experience - the auditory equivalent of an IMAX cinema. Forty-eight loudspeakers, strategically located, project and move sounds throughout the 360 degrees of the space, including above and underneath the audience. The Sonic Lab was designed with an acoustically transparent, modular grid floor suspended 4m above the basement level. No other auditorium for sonic art performance and experimentation currently exists with this revolutionary feature. The provision of this facility gives Northern Ireland a unique and pioneering role in a rapidly developing field.
How the Lab is used
The Sonic Lab is a flexible space used for teaching, public concerts, screenings, installations and for developing and implementing cutting edge research linked to the emerging creative industries. As an engineering research facility, the Sonic Laboratory provides unique opportunities to develop and test new ideas relating to virtual reality / augmented reality, immersive media, Dolby Atmos, loudspeaker design, music perception, musical interactions, new instrument design and sound engineering.
Specification
AUDIO
- 48 loudspeakers across 4 levels: Basement (10), ground (12), mid-height (18) and over-head (8) consisting of Meyer and Genelec loudspeakers.
- Studer Vista 5 mixing console located at the rear of the lab - 72 mic/line inputs, 56 line outputs.
- DANTE audio connection to the Broadcast Studio in SARC.
- Adjacent Control Room equipped with AMS-NEVE DMC mixing console with PMC loudspeaker monitoring and Pro Tools HDX multitrack playback and recording system.
ACOUSTICS
48 acoustic absorbers which can be raised and lowered to alter the reverberation time of the space between 0.4 – 2.3 seconds. This allows the space to be configured to suit different performances,
recording situations, and testing environments.
VISUAL
Large 7 meter-wide retractable acoustically-permeable screen with high definition video projection.
LIGHTING
LED powered lighting system - Avolites Titan Mobile console controlling 6 x moving head lights, and 28 x LED Par fixtures.
Click here to see the Sonic Lab Specs in more detail
Please note if visiting the Sonic Lab:
| The ground level is a metal grid that allows sound to come from the basement level. It is therefore advised not to wear heels. | |
| Food and drink is not permitted in the lab |