The clarity and dynamic range also enhanced quieter scenes , says Brunet . “ A lot of times a powerful system can be too bright in scenarios with mainly dialogue . But the sound system was clear and natural , never fatiguing . When you need it to bang it will do it , but with dialogue , the accuracy and fidelity shine through .”
The screen channels for the system employ three Acheron Studio cinema loudspeakers , with four X-800C™ cinema subwoofers driving the low-frequency effects ( LFE ) channel . The Atmos surround channels are carried by 32 HMS-10 and two HMS-12 surround loudspeakers , bolstered by two USW-210P subwoofers for bass management . Fill speakers for the balcony , configured in two zones , are eight MM-4XP miniature self-powered loudspeakers .
Spearheading the project on behalf of Strong Technical Services was Director of Sales Travis Henning , who coordinated design and commissioning efforts in consultation with Meyer Sound Program Manager for Cinema and Residential Jay Wyatt .
“ Strong Technical Services is a 90-year-old company ,” explains Henning . “ We ’ ve got field technicians , 55 of them throughout the United States . So , like any product related search , we also have a pre-existing relationship with [ this theatre ] where we do a lot of their preventive maintenance , their service work for their current locations , they told us about the project , we sent in our folks to do site surveys do all the measurements . Meyer sound stepped in to help us as far as product assortment , the best , obviously , overall immersive experience possible for the layout that they had .”
“ I think we did about a month of design work , adds Wyatt . [ With the ] Atmos Design process there ’ s some layers of design approval that you have to go through with Dolby to sign off on the design itself . And , you know , it ’ s a very iterative process . Now [ Strong Technical Services ] they ’ ve been around well before Atmos came about , so they ’ re pretty used to the process , but it ’ s always a bit more difficult with vintage venues because you have to kind of preserve the aesthetic . And it ’ s not a new build , so you don ’ t get free rein on you know , every single location and aiming . It ’ s more of a challenge , usually in retrofits . So , I think we spent about a month on some design iterations , you know , and finally got the sign off from Dolby .”
With the premiere of Top Gun : Maverick looming , both Henning and Wyatt share that the biggest challenge of the installation was hitting the deadline in the face of the supply chain shortages caused by Covid yet despite the material shortages the actual physical installation took a week .
Wyatt says another interesting aspect of this design was the Prytania ’ s upper balcony zones . “ We didn ’ t want them to be left out of the experience ,” he explains . “ So , we included some smaller MM-4XP ’ s — really low profile and small . And we went with those for the balcony fills , so we can at least kind of deliver a surround experience for those people that might be sitting in that upper balcony by the projection booth .”
While the initial physical installation took a week , Brunet admits that it did require some tweaking .
“ I ’ m a very hands-on theater operator you know ,” says Brunet . “ We were a little bit of a pain because anything we noticed that wasn ’ t perfect we got [ Strong Technical Solutions and Meyer ] to come back to correct it so we ’ re really proud of the system .]”
The Prytania Theatre installation is the first collaboration between Strong Technical Services and Meyer .
“ Historically , cinemas have been a kind of a passive install where the amplifiers live in the
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booth ,” says Henning . “ So to kind of take that new concept and hit it right out of the park on the first job , I think was really impressive .
Before taking over the reins of the family cinemas from his father , Robert Brunet was involved extensively in the promotion of live concerts and electronic dance music ( EDM ) events , and today he continues as a principal partner in the promotion company , Amps Events .
Brunet is confident that the new sound system will not only showcase the sounds of today ’ s cinema but also add new life to past classics . The Prytania Theatre is in the process of restoring 35mm and 70mm film projectors to offer screenings of vintage film masterpieces in their original format .
“ The big key with the theatre to make
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