GENELEC

WITH THE ADDITION OF PENDANT AND IN-CEILING SPEAKERS TO ITS SMART IP RANGE AT ISE, GENELEC IS INCREASING OPTIONS FOR INSTALLERS, WITH PERFORMANCE, EASE OF USE AND SCALABILITY AT THE FOREFRONT OF ITS DESIGN. ANDY BENSLEY, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, UK, TALKS US THROUGH THE RECENT GROWTH IN THE RANGE, WHICH OFFERS NETWORKED CONNECTIVITY VIA A SINGLE CAT CABLE.

“Launched in 2019, the Smart IP active loudspeaker range began with three models, the 4410, 4420 and 4430 – all of which support PoE, AoIP and management via one CAT cable – and the brief for those models was to perform at the same standard as Genelec mains-powered designs,” explained Bensley. “We would not allow for them to provide 75% of the performance; we wanted to guarantee a quality of service to ensure that the expectations of clients who had known our mains-powered loudspeakers were met.”

With those three models serving installers across a wide variety of applications since their introduction, the decision was made to expand the range, and the new 4435A in-ceiling and 4436A pendant models were displayed for the first time at ISE earlier this year, taking the number of speaker models in the Smart IP range to five – all of which can be combined freely on the network. Bensley has been in his role of Business Development Manager, UK, for close to four years and prior to that worked for Genelec’s UK distributor, so he has spent a lot of time understanding where the customers were coming from and what they needed.

“There is a common thread, specifically in our bread-and-butter work, which is broadcast, post-production and music studios, and that’s getting the content to translate consistently,” he said. “What’s interesting in the AV world is that in a way we’ve helped the content creators create their content, and now it’s a case of ensuring that it’s faithfully reproduced in a commercial environment such as retail, bars and restaurants, corporate spaces and so on.

“A huge aspect of Genelec’s work is getting the loudspeakers to perform in real-world situations. We have 45 years experience of designing reference-grade active loudspeakers – but what happens when that speaker is taken out of controlled conditions?

“Part of my role – in addition to making sure customers are selecting the right kind of system – is getting them to perform in the real world, so calibrating systems and spending time on site is important.”

The Smart IP range was launched three years after Genelec introduced its first IP loudspeaker in 2016, the mains-powered Ravenna/AES67 compatible 8430 model, which was primarily for the studio world, but gave the company valuable experience in networked technology.

Once the Smart IP range hit the market with three models that were primarily deployed as wall, ceiling or column-mounted, Bensley stated that customers slowly started to request in-ceiling or pendant solutions for certain situations.

“It became apparent over the past year or so where we had gaps in the range,” he said. “So, the natural progression was the 4435A in-ceiling and the 4436A pendant, which means we now have a loudspeaker family that is easily deployed and scalable – making a system easier to design – and offers something that can cover areas in the middle of larger spaces, without having to mount more speakers on the walls.

“In the immediate aftermath of ISE, we already have numerous projects in the pipeline, many of which are for solutions in large, open-plan restaurants.”

Bensley stated that the blueprint for the 4435A in-ceiling model was Genelec’s AIC25, an architectural loudspeaker with a remote amplifier, and then solutions were distilled from those designs when it came to creating the 4436A pendant model.

“Being able to ensure that we could provide the same power in the box over Smart IP took a bit of work,” he said. “But we had laid that groundwork with the 4420 and 4430 initially. We already had experience of designing in-ceiling loudspeakers, but the 4436A pendant model was a completely new area for us, and we put a lot of care into ensuring that it was free from any unwanted cabinet resonance.”

All five of the speakers in the Smart IP range feature an in-built power reservoir, which serves as a back-up for overly dynamic material where more power is needed, and then recharges itself. This constant reserve maintains performance to ensure high SPL, clarity and low distortion, which are the pillars of mains-powered Genelec designs. Another important aspect, Bensley explained, was that the designs were durable and long-lasting, therefore meeting the company’s goals for being as sustainable as possible.

“A key function is longevity – our loudspeakers have to perform reliably for many years,” he commented. “That applies to our product lifecycles as well. It’s very rare that we release something every two or three years, since a design may have a lifecycle of five, 10 or 15 years in some cases.

“It’s important that our customers know that if they are investing in a Genelec solution, it is not going to be quickly superseded, and certainly not superseded because of a product refresh simply for the sake of it.”

Another important factor for Genelec is the sourcing of materials.

“Sustainability is a core pillar of the company, and to us it’s as important as sound quality and profitability. It starts at our lakeside factory in rural

Finland, which is in a beautiful place, and we’re very aware of our impact both locally and globally as we ship loudspeakers around the world,” said Bensley. “Wherever possible, we try to use recycled materials, with most of our loudspeaker enclosures being manufactured from recycled aluminium, and we are very conscious about where we source that from. Environmental responsibility extends right through the company and every year we implement new strategies to further improve our sustainability.”

It’s clear that Genelec sees networking as the future of AV, with Smart IP offering a huge advantage to installers.

“Not only does Smart IP sound great, it’s also scalable, sustainable and future-proof. We’ve seen many wonderful projects embrace Smart IP already, but to we feel that we’re just getting started!” www.genelec.com

Installers around the world are embracing the exceptional sound quality and single-cable convenience of Genelec Smart IP networked installation loudspeakers.

With PoE, AES67 and Dante compatibility, plus sophisticated loudspeaker management all supported via a standard CAT cable, Smart IP delivers simplicity and cost effectiveness – even in the most complex installations.

Find out more at www.genelec.com/smart-ip