Renowned for groundbreaking scientific research in molecular biology, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) was established in 1974. EMBL’s Heidelberg headquarters now houses the permanent World of Molecular Biology exhibition, celebrating the work, people and technologies at EMBL and in molecular biology.
EMBL recently commissioned an audio installation from leading audiovisual specialist DJ Willrich, a UK-based systems integrator with a wealth of experience in A/V visitor attractions, including the National Motor Museum in the Beaulieu. As part of the EMBL project, K-array Tornado loudspeakers were installed throughout the facility, delivering highly intelligible narration to accompany the informative exhibits.
‘We were brought onboard by the designers, Haley Sharpe Design of Leicester, to consult on the A/V perspective, and worked with the fit-out company, the Hub, who are based in Redditch,’ says DJ Willrich Project Manager, John Doe.
The exhibition includes several informational kiosks, each focusing on different aspects of science and scientists. These are mainly based around a large touchscreen with a PC or media server providing the video content. Each includes either one or a pair of K-array Tornado-KT2C flush-mount, point source loudspeakers featuring a 2-inch, high-efficiency neodymium cone driver, powered by a dedicated KA1-T2H amplifier module with accompanying KA-L15 power supply. This amplifier and speaker combination is essentially self-contained, eliminating the need to run cables back to a central rack room, and is effectively duplicated in multiple exhibits around the facility.
The most critical part of the technical brief was to achieve good intelligibility at a level that allows the narration to be clearly heard without overspill into adjacent or neighbouring exhibits.
‘The source material is mostly spoken word with some background music and – because the content is essentially medical and scientific in nature with a lot of technical explanation – it was important that the narration was articulated with a high degree of clarity,’ Doe says. ‘In addition, we needed to mix the level down a little and focus the sound at the listener in order for the message to be clearly understood.’
The small size (5-inch diameter) of the Tornado loudspeakers meant that they could be easily and discreetly mounted into the displays, while their conical 90° dispersion pattern keeps sound coverage well controlled in the close field. The Tornado-dedicated plug-in micro amplifier modules keep everything compact and easy to manage from a cabling perspective. With 15 or 16 PCs in the facility all with rackmounted amplifiers, the DJW team were keen to avoid the build-up of heat.
‘The quality of audio coming from a speaker of such a small size, and being so well integrated into the exhibits, is what made K-array so well suited to this project,’ Doe says. We are delighted with the performance of the sound systems, the clarity, the articulation, and the discreet appearance of the speakers, which have helped to deliver a really engaging visitor experience.’
