Eichler Hall, home to the College of Music's major ensembles, has incorporated an immersive audio system.

With this installation, it has become one of the largest immersive audio environments in US higher education, dedicated to composition, teaching and multidisciplinary research.

Michigan State University's College of Music has transformed Eichler Hall into one of the most ambitious immersive audio environments in higher education, installing a Genelec Smart IP loudspeaker system designed for composition, performance, teaching and multidisciplinary research using Ambisonics technology.

The approximately 200 m² hall is used for rehearsals and performances by the university's orchestra, band and choir. With the new system, it can also function as a spatial audio environment capable of creating a 360-degree listening sphere and positioning and moving sounds within a three-dimensional space.

The installed system consists of 143 Genelec 4430AW Smart IP Installation Loudspeakers, in a white finish, and two Genelec 7382A Smart Active Subwoofers. The network infrastructure is also ready to accommodate additional loudspeakers.

The project was made possible through the support of Ed and Wanda Eichler, who also funded the creation of Eichler Hall.

Why Smart IP?

The project was led by Anthony T. Marasco, Assistant Professor of Composition and Technology at Michigan State University, with technical design and consultancy provided by Tanner Upthegrove of Electroacoustics, LLC.

During the planning phase, Upthegrove recommended using Genelec Smart IP technology as the foundation of the system. According to Marasco, this choice made it possible to expand the hall's capabilities and simplify installation, as the technology enables audio, electrical power and control signals to be transmitted over the same network infrastructure. It also facilitates the individual management and optimisation of each loudspeaker.

The system operates over a Dante network, with Cat 6 cabling distributed throughout the hall. This configuration eliminated the need to install a separate electrical infrastructure to power more than 140 loudspeakers, which, according to Marasco, significantly reduced the complexity of the project.

Installation and commissioning

The system was installed by Michigan State University staff, including Tom March, Facilities Manager for the College of Music; Justin Baker, IT Director; and the university's Infrastructure Planning and Facilities team.

Work began during the winter break with the installation of data cabling. Once the spring semester ended, loudspeaker mounting began, and the entire installation was completed by mid-June. Tanner Upthegrove then worked with Anthony T. Marasco and the university team over several days to configure and commission the system.

For this process, they used Genelec Smart IP Manager software to check network connections, verify audio routing and adjust the acoustic response of each loudspeaker. This process was particularly important for units whose location or proximity to certain architectural elements affected their acoustic performance.According to Marasco, the software made it possible to analyse each loudspeaker and create equalisation profiles tailored to its position within the hall. These settings were stored directly in the loudspeakers themselves, simplifying their configuration and optimisation.

Upthegrove also highlights that Smart IP Manager simplified the control of equalisation, sensitivity and other loudspeaker functions, both individually and by zone, without requiring an external digital signal processor (DSP).

The installation uses a Danish Audio Devices AX Center interface as the central component of the system, alongside a Mac Studio serving as the main audio production workstation.

The infrastructure also includes Dante Virtual Soundcard, a 256-channel RME Digiface Dante interface and a Behringer X32 mixing console, enabling the integration of analogue audio sources and live instruments. Meanwhile, REAPER and Max are used to manage multichannel routing, composition, Ambisonics processing and the development of custom spatial audio applications.

A laboratory for students from different disciplines

The Immersive Sound Design course, taught by Anthony T. Marasco and open to students from across Michigan State University, allows participants to explore immersive audio applications in areas such as musical composition, video games, storytelling, themed entertainment and museum experiences.

Previously, the professor had to set up and dismantle a temporary 7.1.4 sound system for each session. With the new Eichler Hall installation, students now have a permanent environment in which they can experiment directly with spatial audio and develop more complex projects.

According to Marasco, the system makes it possible to position sounds at specific points in space and move them above or around the audience, as well as combine Ambisonics recordings with independently positioned mono or stereo sources. It also offers the ability to design virtual acoustic environments that could not exist in a real physical space.The course already includes students from video game design, engineering and communication, while the college hopes to extend its reach to other disciplines, including film and journalism.

In addition to its teaching role, Eichler Hall is expected to host concerts, workshops, guest artist performances and events related to immersive audio. The hall will also serve as a platform for multidisciplinary research, with potential applications in acoustic and sound ecology, health and wellbeing, simulation, manufacturing processes and workplace safety training.

Recreating acoustic spaces and moving sounds

One of the system's main capabilities is the recreation of real acoustic environments or imaginary ones through impulse response (IR) modelling. This technology makes it possible to simulate how sound would behave in different spaces without performers or listeners needing to be physically present in them.

During demonstrations at Eichler Hall, the system has recreated environments as varied as a Scottish mausoleum and a railway tunnel, reproducing their acoustic characteristics within the hall.

Marasco also highlights the installation's ability to create a natural sense of sound movement. As an example, he mentions the playback of Ambisonics field recordings in which a bird can be heard singing above the listener before its sound moves around the hall.

Thanks to the loudspeaker distribution and spatial processing, sound is perceived as a source present within the environment rather than being associated with individual loudspeakers.

Finally, Genelec worked with the university throughout the procurement process to ensure the availability and delivery of the large number of loudspeakers required for the project, helping to keep the installation on schedule.