With a legacy extending back to 1917, Palads Teatret’s current Frederikshavn location originally opened in 1942 as a single floor facility. Cinema directors Kris Søgaard Pedersen and Sofia Rafn Abildgaard recently unveiled their ambitious redesign that included four renovated theatre rooms.
The newly constructed theatres required immersive audio systems that complement the décor and enhance the overall movie experience for guests. To accomplish these requirements, Pedersen and Abildgaard turned to top cinema integrator AVC and distributor Septon to outfit the theatre rooms with comprehensive Dolby Atmos and Dolby 7.1 cinema audio solutions, powered by JBL Professional loudspeakers and Crown amplifiers.
"We set out to build the best possible cinema we could imagine,” said Pedersen. “We thought about how we could optimize everything for the best customer experience. We had the highest possible requirements for the sound. We had considered choosing a slightly cheaper solution, but when it came down to it, we couldn't resist taking the best of the best. We have certainly not regretted that, as a sharp and all-encompassing sound image is so important for an immersive film experience. I had seen films with Dolby Atmos before, and after seeing a few films here in the cinema, I am a true believer.”
The supplier selected for the project was AVC, a leading company in supplying and integrating first-class audio video systems for cinemas. AVC has a strong reputation of delivering high quality audio solutions for cinemas in Denmark with JBL speakers and Crown amplifiers, including more than 30 Atmos rooms and numerous 7.1 rooms.
To ensure world-class audio quality and immersive theatre experiences, AVC and Septon outfitted four of Palads Teatret’s rooms with a range of JBL cinema speakers, including 4732T, 3732T and 3732 ScreenArray loudspeakers, 4642A and 4645C subwoofers, SCS12 and SCS8 spatial surround speakers, and 9320 and 8102 cinema surround speakers.
Because the flagship room is much larger than the average theatre, the team elected to take a different approach. Typically associated with performing arts facilities, auditoriums, dance clubs and sports facilities, JBL AM5212 two-way speakers are featured in the role of front-most sidewall and ceiling surround speakers. Together with AC599 and AC299 used as full-range surround speakers, the JBL system delivers excellent coverage, precise intelligibility, and cinematic immersion in Palads Teatret’s main theatre.
“Room number one is very large, so we had to go for bigger, more powerful surround speakers than we usually use for cinema installs, in order to have a uniform design factor on the side walls, rear walls and ceiling” said Lars Christensen, distributor, Septon. “When used as cinema surround speakers, JBL AM5112, AC299 and AC599 are excellent models that can cope with a large room. Harman makes very good products from a technical perspective—good amplifying technology and good DSP included with the amplifiers.”
To supply reliable power and sophisticated networking technology for the Dolby Atmos and Dolby 7.1-equipped JBL speaker systems, Septon and AVC installed Crown DCi Series amplifiers, which interface with the Dolby processor directly via built-in BLU-link, contributing to a simplified-yet-elegant cinema routing.
“One benefit is that the Crown DCi amplifiers can connect to Dolby Atmos directly from the Dolby processors via CAT cables,” said Lars Christensen. “Dolby Connect is available in a Blu-link version, so it interfaces directly with the Crown amps. You don’t have to wire a bunch of multi-cables; you can do all the channel allocations in the processor. Everyone knows that if you choose JBL and Crown, you’ll end up with professional results. They have a ubiquitous reputation in Denmark, and we’ve done many prestigious installations with them.”