Genelec Smart IP Powers Immersive Audio

Roto Group, among North America's largest museum planning, design and fabrication firms, has outfitted its Prototype Museum in Columbus, Ohio with a wide array of Genelec solutions.

Conceived as a living testbed for immersive storytelling, interactive media and visitor engagement, the venue lets Roto’s designers, engineers, software developers and creatives trial and refine installations in a real-world setting before rolling concepts out to client projects.

At the heart of the facility is a flexible, high‑fidelity audio infrastructure. The deployment blends Genelec 8030C and 8050B studio monitors with 4430A Smart IP Installation Speakers, 4436A Smart IP Pendant Speakers and 7050C Active Studio Subwoofers throughout the building, enabling precise localisation and impact wherever sound is required.

Designed from day one to be reconfigurable and continuously evolving, Prototype demanded an audio platform that could maintain reference‑grade quality while accommodating frequent layout changes and new content. "One of our ambitions from the beginning was to bring studio-level audio quality to every visitor experience," said Joseph Wisne, Founder and CEO of Roto Group. "When sound designers and composers create content, they’re monitoring it in carefully controlled environments. We wanted visitors to hear that same mix – not a version colored by reflections from distant speakers mounted in the corners of a room. Genelec allowed us to place the sound exactly where the audience is and deliver the experience the creators intended."

Across the galleries, visitors encounter custom soundtracks, visitor‑generated music, game audio, ambient soundscapes and multi‑channel immersive works. One notable installation suspends 24 Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers within a mirrored 2,500‑square‑foot gallery, achieving an enveloping acoustic field even with highly reflective surfaces.

Wisne said Genelec’s blend of audio performance, installation versatility and networked control made it an obvious choice. “The Smart IP products were a game changer for us,” he explained. “In many cases, all we need is a single CAT6 network cable. We can move a loudspeaker, reconnect it to the network and immediately have access to it. That portability is incredibly valuable in a museum built around experimentation and change.”

Audio is distributed over a Dante® network, allowing staff to route content to virtually any gallery or event space while ensuring consistent results. Standardising on a Genelec platform streamlines day‑to‑day operation for technicians and preserves mix integrity for visitors across the building. “Consistency is critical,” said Wisne. “We don’t want our technical team constantly adjusting EQs or trying to compensate for different loudspeaker systems. We do the mix in the studio, and that’s the sound we want visitors to hear. Genelec gives us that consistency while making the system incredibly easy to manage.”

Beyond daily public hours, Prototype hosts corporate events, receptions, private functions, educational programmes and fully immersive experiences. Centralised network control means the team can quickly tailor audio to each occasion without compromising the venue’s signature multisensory character.

genelec.com