When it comes to formal education in the field of multimedia, the UK has a comprehensive range of different schools and universities. The University of Surrey, however, enjoys some of the highest praise among them- its graduates regularly winning awards and working at the top of the industry.
The university recently installed a large immersive audio setup of 23 x PSI Audio speakers in a new multi-purpose listening room. 17 x A23-M, 2 x A25-M and 4 x Sub A225-M systems constitute an elaborate solution that can be adjusted to accommodate a number of different formats- from Stereo, Quad and Ring of Eight, to surround standards like 5.x and 7.x, all the way through to Dolby Atmos. PSI Audio’s Swiss precision sound has been lauded as a perfect match in a university known for its ‘excellence in media creation.’
Music and Media in the School of Arts, Humanities and Creative Industries houses the innovative Creative Music Technology and Tonmeister programmes at the University of Surrey – possibly the most prestigious audio engineering course in the UK. For their most recent creative studio listening setup, Creative Music Technology Programme Director Dr Tom Hall chose PSI Audio speakers in a huge and immensely versatile array.
The impressive facilities encompass multiple high-end recording studios as well as functioning broadcast studios. In accordance with current industry developments, immersive audio continues to play a significant role. “We have one NHK-like room for research,” says Senior Lecturer in Audio and Video, Alan Haigh. “There is a research project that uses the 22.2 setup to explore how you can generate immersive audio with all sorts of different speakers. Say you have a stereo system and other devices like phones, tablets or Bluetooth speakers in the room – can you connect them and make them create appropriate audio? That kind of research is going on there.” Dr Tom Hall adds: “We also have a Dolby Atmos room planned with a 9.4.4 setup.”
The new Creative Music Technology Studio features a total of 23 x PSI Audio speakers: a ring of eight A23-M on ear level, 4 x A23-M as floor speakers, 4 x A23-M as ceiling speakers, one A23-M as central ceiling speaker (“Voice of God”), 2 x A25-M for the left and right channels, and 4 x Sub A225-M subwoofers. A setup of that size can be a challenge to handle, as Tom Hall explains: “I spent most of my time with channel mappings. That is a lot of work, especially if you are switching between different configurations.” Tom Hall, Alan Haigh and Senior Lecturer Dr Russell Mason note that they are very happy with the sound- praising the system’s transparent and detailed reproduction of complex audio. “We did a little EQ,” Alan Haigh explains- “I haven’t touched the top end, just a few little bass things; very minimal.” Apart from the sound, the 100 percent analogue design of the PSI Audio speakers appealed to Tom Hall: “There’s a trend to replace analogue circuitry with digital tech. But analogue, you know – it’s just what it is and doesn’t try to be anything else. That was attractive to me.”
The result is a room for a vast number of applications: it is a compositional space for immersive music; a small performance space; and, of course, a teaching space with a serious monitoring setup. Tom Hall is very happy with the result: “It’s just lovely to be in here. The students all love it. I really look forward to exploring the sonic possibilities of this new space.”
Visit the official PSI Audio Website for more.
