[LAU] ambidec: number of speakers and sound card configurations

[fons at kokkinizita.net]

On Sun, Sep 19, 2010 at 06:43:00PM +0800, Simon Wise wrote:

> I was collaborating with audio engineer a few years ago who has been
> setting up quite elaborate arrays of speakers arranged to direct
> sound in particular directions, they have done fit-outs in the local
> state parliament chamber, and actually achieved nice clear
> announcements confined to the appropriate platform in a train
> station with 25 platforms. A nice system, from reasonably priced
> components.

What makes this sort of thing expensive is the amount of equipment
and the installation costs - lots of amps and wiring are required
if you really want to control each speaker separately. What is 
needed to make this practical is boxes with a large number of 
speakers, amplifiers and some DSP built-in, and just a single
connection (optical MADI or network) for the signals. 

Train station platforms are among the nightmare places of any 
acoustics engineer: difficult shape, either open air or very
reverberant halls, variable and high ambient noise - all of
it conspires against you...

Ciao,  

-- 
FA

There are three of them, and Alleline.