ESSENTIAL CEDIA
SHIFTING SANDS IN CINEMA There has been a paradigm shift in attitudes towards engineered entertainment space design. Peter Aylett, partner at HTE Acoustic Interior Design and CEDIA volunteer, explains. high-performance
The biggest change in RP22 from the
objective performance rather than product
entertainment spaces is - regardless of the use
The
design
of
old document is the introduction of new
and brand rhetoric. For installers, it will bring
mode of the room, an engineering exercise.
performance levels. Whilst the old document
a level playing field to cost proposals that
Almost every aspect of performance is
only described ‘Reference Level’ and even then,
are engineered to performance levels. This
predictable at the design stage and verifiable
this was just a description of maximum SPL capacity, RP22 will define four different levels
will help bring an end to the practice of ‘I can
at commissioning. Unfortunately, the approach currently taken by many dealers is to bypass
of performance. Level one is the new baseline
design and engineering, going straight from
definition for a system to convey a minimum level
sales to specification. Though many engineering
of artistic intent from the content creators. The
standards currently exist for the design of
new level four is a no compromise definition of
entertainment spaces, they are a combination
ultimate performance that sits above ‘reference’
of fragmented, dated, format specific, product
which is now level three.
specific and bias towards commercial cinema.
RP22 is a design document, so all the
CEDIA’s current CEB22 ‘Home Theatre
performance parameters are predictable at
Audio Design’ Recommended Practice was
the design stage and will be verifiable after
published in 2009 and whilst still relevant, does
commissioning. Examples of these parameters
not include multiple advances since then. The
include separate screen speaker and non-screen
new RP22 ‘Multichannel Audio Room Design’
speaker SPL capability, in-room bass extension
Recommended Practice not only updates CEB22 but adds many new sections to make it
and subwoofer(s) SPL capability across their usable range, decoder/renderer capability and
do that system for half the price’ because integrators can justify the performance of their proposed system using objective metrics. RP22 has also removed all references to room use modes such as ‘Home Theatre,’ ‘Cinema,’ or ‘Media Room’, as the performance of the system should be considered independent from a room’s use mode. This will allow integrators
to
have
far
more
flexible
conversations with clients rather than the binary ‘cinema or media room’ question. RP22 is being created under ANSI rules by a global workgroup made up of some of the most experienced audio video practitioners in the world. The document will not be ‘opinion’
a far more complete and holistic design guide.
discrete speaker array, level of early reflections relative to direct sound, room RdT(RT60) time
but will be the result of over two years’ worth of
New and completely updated sections include –
from 62Hz to 8KHz, and speaker location
deep discussion and detailed peer review.
• A recommendation for speaker layout rules that embrace all the current format providers, and provides guidance for high
deviation from the recommended positions. Performance levels will for the first time allow the industry to have conversations around
‘Standards enable consistency of experience’ Poppy Crum, Chief Scientist at Dolby Labs.
channel count systems • New acoustic design recommendations • New recommendations for loudspeaker
Being created right now, RP22 is designed to take entertainment engineering to a new level
specification • New recommendations for the use of acoustically transparent materials (including different screen materials) • New recommendations for the use of electronic electro-acoustic optimisation (EQ) • Updated recommendations for multiple subwoofers to mitigate room modes • New performance objectives section • New visual T.O.C. and design process section • New recommendations around seat-to-seat consistency • Updated recommendations for background noise and acoustic isolation
34 AUGUST 2021
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