Genelec kit is used in seven recording studios throughout the Helsinki Music Centre
Starlight came together in 2006 following the union of United Audio AB and Starlight AB. Projecting a turnover of
around €75 million this year, an increase from €23.1 million in 2010, Eastavab is described as spearheading a “Nordic audiovisual equipment rental market”, according to investors. Eastavab CEO Trond Lutdal has talked about “establishing a true Nordic platform” and “greater efficiency in operations and significant synergies” while “sharing best practices and optimising our offering in the Nordic region”. The spirit continues in Denmark, where the Aarhus Musikhuset has opened with Per Adel Hansen, head of sound, selecting d&b audiotechnik’s V-Series line array as launched at
Prolight + Sound. The official opening saw James Taylor and his band debut the full system and stage monitors, installed by the in- house team at Aarhus Musikhuset with support from d&b’s Danish distributor Alfa Audio. Meanwhile in Sweden, Stockholm is buzzing with projects. News is yet to emerge of proposed extensions to the Globe Arena, now sponsored by telecoms giant Ericsson, and of refurbishment of the original Olympic Stadium first built in 1912. But details have been released of Audiorama, a brand new build designed for sound art and electro-acoustic musical experimentation and featuring a multichannel system of 21 speakers. The venue’s technical producer Marcus Wrangö has in effect designed a 17.4 surround
system, using eight Genelec 8260As in a circle around the listener; five 8240As above the listener; and four 8130As at floor level – combined with four 7260A subs. Working for a Finnish company, Genelec’s native Stockholmer Lars-Olof Janflød acknowledges the advantages of being in the euro. “It’s very much to Genelec’s advantage,” he says, “not least because we can run a more transparent EU pricing structure. Yes, we’ve noticed problems in Greece, for example, but it’s a very small market. We get our fair share of what is there – and there is a business – without having to apply any special measures. We’re very strict in giving exactly the same price to every distributor we have.”
IN THE Harpa Conference & Concert Centre in Reykjavik, Iceland, acoustic engineering has been combined with technology infrastructure to establish a national monument, and again a main concert hall is complemented by smaller performance spaces. Now the permanent home of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, the main hall is a 1,500-seater on four levels with audio dominated by arguably the largest Midas-Klark Teknik digital network in the world and a prestigious showcase for Meyer Sound’s MICA range. Local installation and rental company Exton supplied and equipped the Harpa, and is co-owned by entrepreneur Sverrir Hreidarsson. “Iceland is a little isolated right now because of our strict currency regulations,” he says. “You cannot export currencies, so if you’re an international investor you can’t get your money out, for now. This followed a banking
Genelec monitoring also graces another of Scandinavia’s recent flourishes of civic pride. The Helsinki Music Centre opened last August as a multi-room concert venue with sophisticated broadcast infrastructure: the
The banking crisis interrupted the completion of Harpa in Reykjavik
crisis that actually interrupted completion of the Harpa, but we’re working our way out of it. I think it shows that these things can happen in or out of the euro, and that whichever territory has issues it will directly affect all trading partners.”
Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra is now based here, as are the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Sibelius Academy conservatory. The acoustically engineered main concert hall has 1,704