Recently upgraded, the Sala Energia auditorium at the Arcadia Melzo multiplex in suburban Milan boasts the most powerful permanent Meyer Sound cinema sound system in the world, as well as one of Europe’s largest Dolby Atmos systems.
The first cinema to use Meyer Sound’s Leopard line array for all of its screen channels, the 630-seat Sala Energia is owned by Piero Fumagalli: ‘When I first heard the Leopard-based system in our Sala Energia, I was so excited and enthusiastic that I was moved to tears,’ he says. ‘I sensed immediately that the clarity, dynamics, and musicality of the Leopard arrays represented a major improvement over the previous system.
‘This system is our investment in the future,’ he continues. ‘Audiences are now willing to pay more to experience a film in the Sala Energia. We have patrons raving about both the sound and image technologies. In fact, they often applaud the sound demo trailers before the features.’
Fumagalli points out that Leopard supplied an ideal solution for Sala Energia’s 30m-wide auditorium, which also has a long throw distance to the back rows. ‘I had some doubts about using compact line arrays for screen loudspeakers, but when I heard Leopard I realised that this is a loudspeaker of such exceptional quality that it can absolutely be used in any application.’
The five screen channels each comprise seven Leopard loudspeakers flown under two 900-LFC low-frequency control elements. Additional low-end is provided by a behind-screen tower of ten X-800C subwoofers. Drive and system optimisation are supplied by a Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system, comprising one Galileo 616 and two Galileo Callisto 616 array processors.
The set-up also includes 30 HMS-12 and six HMS-15AC surround loudspeakers for side, rear, and overhead surrounds, and eight additional X-800C subwoofers for surround effects. The system was provided by Meyer Sound’s Italian distributor Linear Sound, a division of Eko Music Group, and installed by Brusaporto-based Sangalli Tecnologie under the supervision of Giancarlo Terzi.
Images are delivered to an 30m x 16m Harkness Perlux white screen by two Christie 4K digital projectors, with two Cinemeccanica Victoria 8 projectors for 70mm film screenings.
Opened in 1997, Sala Energia posts impressive per-cinema ticket sales across a variety of genres, including both recent blockbuster digital releases and 70mm roadshow versions of classic re-releases. Arcadia Cinemas operates movie multiplexes at four locations across northern Italy.
More: www.meyersound.com
