Dreamsound Is Poland’s First Post-Production Studio to Adopt Dolby Atmos Powered By HARMAN’s JBL and Crown

WARSAW, Poland — Since 2007 Warsaw-based Dreamsound (www.dreamsound.pl) has been one of Poland’s top film post-production studios, offering a complete range of services from recording sound on set through sound editing, mixing and audio mastering. Since its inception Dreamsound has been committed to offering its clients the very latest in film sound technologies, as evidenced by the fact that it’s the first post-production house in Poland licensed to produce film soundtracks using the leading-edge Dolby Atmos surround-sound system, heard at its full potential thanks to a system based around HARMAN’s JBL ScreenArray™ loudspeakers and Crown DSi and XLS DriveCore Series amplifiers.

Dolby Atmos is a next-generation surround-sound technology that employs overhead speakers as well as traditional surround speakers to create a remarkably realistic and immersive sonic environment. Dolby Atmos employs up to 64 speakers to heighten the enveloping sonic atmosphere and impact of movie theater sound. The Dolby Atmos JBL and Crown system is installed in a new 280 square foot, 15-seat screening room that opened in January 2014. Dreamsound co-owner Kacper Habisiak worked closely with JBL and Crown brand manager Wojtek Kopytek at HARMAN Professional distributor ESS Audio and with Dolby personnel in designing and installing the screening room.

The installation employs a total of 32 JBL loudspeakers including ScreenArray 3731-T 3-way tri-amplified loudspeakers and 4642 dual-18-inch subwoofers arranged behind the 20-foot wide projection screen in a left-center-right configuration. JBL SCS 12 and SCS 8 Spatially Cued Surround 12-inch and 8-inch coaxial loudspeakers are mounted on the ceiling, side and rear walls, augmented by two JBL 4181 18-inch subwoofers. The loudspeakers are driven by a complement of Crown DSi 1000 and XLS 2500, XLS 2000, XLS 1500 and XLS 1000 amplifiers.

“JBL speakers are the standard in Polish cinemas, and they match perfectly with Crown amplifiers, so it was a logical move for us to implement these components in our Dolby Atmos screening room,” said Habisiak. “Equally important, the performance of the speakers and amplifiers meets Dolby’s licensing requirements, which are extremely stringent regarding specifications including sound pressure levels, frequency response, coverage relative to room size and other parameters.”

JBL’s ScreenArray 3731-T loudspeakers are designed for critical sound reproduction requirements in small to medium cinemas and studio production and post-production applications. The 3731-T incorporates a host of design and engineering advancements including Optimized Aperture Waveguide and Focused Coverage Technology for ultra-low distortion and extremely uniform frequency response over a precisely controlled coverage area. Crown’s DSi amplifiers are specifically designed for cinema applications with features including onboard DSP, EQ, delay, output limiting and presets for JBL loudspeaker systems. XLS Series amplifiers combine performance and flexibility featuring both Crown's proprietary DriveCore™ Technology and PureBand™ Crossover System allowing users to select crossover points from 50 Hz to 3kHz.

 “The JBL and Crown system far exceeds our expectations,” Habisiak noted. “It’s one thing to meet the Dolby Atmos specs, which are admittedly quite demanding – but it’s another thing to actually experience what this system can do. The combination of the clarity, dynamic power and seamless integration of the speakers and amplifiers with the three-dimensional width, depth and height localization of the Dolby Atmos process is truly remarkable to hear.”

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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Mumbai’s YRF Studios Equips its Latest Dolby Atmos™ Film Mix Theatre with HARMAN Professional’s JBL and Crown Cinema Systems

MUMBAI, India — YRF (Yash Raj Films) Studios is one of India’s premier film studios and entertainment companies, well known for producing many of the country’s biggest blockbusters and as the number one film distribution house in India. Located in Mumbai, YRF Studios is one of the world’s most well equipped film production studios, boasting three sound stages, two recording theaters, a film mixing studio/theater, dubbing, Foley and tracking suites and a full complement of technical facilities and personal amenities.

YRF Studios’ 116-seat film mixing theater is the largest of its kind in Mumbai and features the best-available audio and video equipment, including a HARMAN JBL 6.1 surround sound loudspeaker system powered by Crown amplifiers, state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos™ 3-dimensional multichannel audio processing, leading-edge digital projection and other advanced technologies.

JBL ScreenArray™ 4632 3-way bi-amplified loudspeakers are installed as the main front, center and right speakers. The JBL 4632 employs a 1.75-inch titanium-diaphragm tweeter, four 6.5-inch midrange drivers and two 15-inch woofers to deliver high volume, superior coverage and uniform power output along with exceptional clarity and resolution. The tweeter and midrange drivers operate into a second-generation Optimized Aperture Waveguide for ultra-low distortion and uniform frequency response while the 4632’s Focused Coverage Technology provides an asymmetrical coverage pattern tilted 10 degrees downward from the horizontal to deliver uniform coverage in either traditional or stadium-seating auditoriums.

“Sound & visual are the two integral parts of cinema, that cannot be treated in isolation. Before we even broke ground on YRF Studios our mandate from Mr. Aditya Chopra was to build and equip it with the finest audio and video components available,” said Anuj Mathur, Chief Recording Engineer at YRF Studios. “We auditioned a number of products on the market and it was clear that HARMAN offered not only the best brands and best performance – they also provided the best customer and technical support. In fact, Ashish Barje, one of the HARMAN Professional engineers based in their Mumbai office, was a key collaborator in the design and installation of YRF Studios.”

The main speakers are complemented by 42 JBL 8340A and 8350 surround speakers, whose high power output and smooth coverage over a wide area make them ideally suited for the stringent sonic demands of Dolby Atmos soundtrack reproduction. Introduced in April 2012, Dolby Atmos has been embraced by all the major Hollywood studios. Dolby Atmos unleashes the potential of sound in storytelling by providing sound experts the creative freedom to easily place or move specific sounds anywhere in the movie theatre. The result is what moviegoers have described as the most engaging and lifelike cinema sound experience ever. The 8340A and 8350 speakers are mounted along the sides and rear and from the ceiling to provide a true three-dimensional sound field. Four JBL 4642A dual-18-inch subwoofers provide powerful and extended low-frequency response, and all the speakers are driven by Crown DSi 4000, DSi 2000 and CTs2000 power amplifiers.

“At Dolby, it has been our constant endeavor to get the best cinematic experiences to the Indian audiences, and HARMAN has been an ideal partner in this ecosystem as it shares a common vision. The association gave us an excellent opportunity to work with HARMAN equipping the renowned YRF Studios with Dolby Atmos. Dolby Atmos is the latest and most innovative cinema sound technology which gives filmmakers unprecedented control over the content, creating a virtual reality of sound by precisely placing and moving sounds within the theatre to make audiences feel as if they too, are in the middle of the onscreen action. In short - Dolby Atmos provides the ultimate in creative control so that audiences in any setting can experience the full impact of your storytelling,” said Mr. Pankaj Kedia, Country Manager, Dolby Laboratories India.

“In order to deliver a truly immersive cinema experience, the audio soundtrack for a film has to be as compelling as the visuals,” said Prashant Govindan, Director, India operations, Harman Professional. It all starts in the production studio – the engineers need to have the right tools to know that what they’re hearing is accurate and will be translated into what moviegoers will enjoy in the cinema. We are gratified that YRF Studios has recognized the superior performance of JBL and Crown in the highly critical application of film sound production and have chosen these products as their sonic references.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,600 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.5 billion for the last twelve months ended September 30, 2013.

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HARMAN’s JBL Professional and Crown Deliver Mega-Scale Dolby Atmos™ Multichannel Sound in South Korea’s Megabox Cinema

ILSAN, South Korea — Megabox is a chain of 58 South Korean movie theaters known for its commitment to leading-edge cinema technology. Moviegoers who attend the Ilsan, Baeksuk Megabox Theater will now be treated to the newest advancement in movie theater sound, thanks to the theater’s recently-installed Dolby Atmos™ surround sound system featuring HARMAN’s JBL loudspeakers and Crown amplifiers.

Dolby Atmos takes cinema surround sound to an entirely new level of excitement by employing overhead speakers as well as traditional surround speakers to create an astonishingly immersive sonic environment. Sound can originate from literally anywhere – side-to-side, front-to-back and overhead – enabling the directors and sound designers to create a true three-dimensional listening experience.

The system is installed in the theater’s 275-seat M Hall. Designed for critical film sound reproduction applications in medium to large cinemas, five JBL 5672 three-way loudspeakers and five 4342A loudspeakers are deployed as the main left, center and right-channel speakers. Eight JBL 4642A dual-18-inch subwoofers and two PRX618S-XLF extended low-frequency 18-inch subs deliver powerful and authoritative bass, and a total of 48 JBL 8350 Cinema Surround Speakers are arranged throughout the theater.

The loudspeakers are powered by an impressive complement of 16 Crown DSi 4000 and 29 DSi 2000 amplifiers. Crown DSi Series amps are specifically designed for cinema applications with features including onboard DSP, EQ, delay, output limiting, presets for industry-standard JBL loudspeaker systems and much more.

“In order for Dolby Atmos to be heard the way its designers intended, every aspect of the system has to be perfectly optimized,” said Hueng-Sik Jung, manager of Projection Technique Team of Megabox. “The coverage pattern of the loudspeakers has to be precisely directed and smooth throughout the theater and the amplifiers have to be capable of delivering clean, powerful sound at high volume levels. The JBL loudspeakers and Crown amps in the Megabox cinema are ideally suited to these requirements and the sound in our theater is so enveloping and lifelike that it literally almost seems unbelievable at first listen.”

Dolby Atmos employs up to 64 speakers and the proprietary Dolby Atmos Cinema Processor to heighten the realism and impact of movie theater sound. The Dolby Atmos specification requires 105dB peak SPL at the reference point in the theater along with numerous additional stringent technical requirements.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,600 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.5 billion for the last twelve months ended September 30, 2013.

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Dolby Atmos, HARMAN’s JBL Loudspeakers and Crown Amplifiers Provide World-Class Experience at Promenade Cinemas

SAN JUAN CITY, The Philippines—The most revolutionary cinema sound experience yet is coming to the Philippines and will be experienced at the new cinemas opening soon at the Greenhills Promenade in San Juan City. Set to open this month, the new Promenade Cinemas 6, 7, and 8 will be equipped with Dolby® Atmos™, the latest audio solution that revolutionizes the experience of sound in entertainment and transports moviegoers right into the middle of each scene. The Dolby Atmos system at the Greenhills Promenade also features a world-class HARMAN audio system, including JBL ScreenArray® loudspeakers and JBL 8350 Cinema Surround loudspeakers, powered by Crown® DriveCore™ Install (DCi) amplifiers.

The Dolby Atmos system creates life-like sound where each of the JBL surround loudspeakers is independently amplified with Crown, creating discrete channels of surround sound in the cinema.

Greenhills Cinemas was given the right to debut Dolby Atmos in the Philippines by Dolby through its Southeast Asian distributor, the Goldenduck Group, Thailand’s primary cinema equipment and services company.

“The JBL loudspeakers are located throughout the theater, not just in front and at the sides,” explains Paolo Mendoza, VP of the Music Museum Group, Inc. and general manager of Greenhills Cinemas. “With Dolby Atmos, you are able to move sounds anywhere in the theater. The result is an exciting, powerful environment never experienced before in cinema viewing.”

Director Peter Jackson (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Lord of the Rings trilogy) has called Dolby Atmos “the completely immersive sound experience that filmmakers like myself have long dreamed about.”

“It’s more 3D than 3D images,” said Mark Andrews, director of Disney Pixar’s Brave, where the sounds of arrows whizzing by, horses galloping, and bears stomping place the viewer right in the middle of the action.

Introduced in April 2012, Dolby Atmos has been embraced by all the major Hollywood studios, award-winning directors and sound engineers, and leading exhibitors worldwide. More than 70 films around the world have been released or are scheduled to be released with Dolby Atmos sound. Dolby Atmos has also received technical achievement awards from both the Hollywood Post Alliance and the Cinema Audio Society.

Local moviegoers will experience Dolby Atmos for the first time at Promenade Cinemas with the showing of Pacific Rim, the science-fiction monster film directed by Guillermo del Toro.

“The Dolby Atmos system is quickly gaining momentum around the world and exhibitors are also recognizing JBL loudspeakers and Crown amplification as the optimal components for use in Atmos systems,” said Chuck Goodsell, Senior Manager, Cinema, JBL Professional. “The system at Promenade Cinemas exemplifies the possibilities when world-class loudspeakers and amplifiers are paired with the most cutting-edge cinema audio format in the world!”

“At Dolby, we are passionate about providing filmmakers and storytellers with innovative technologies and tools that create the most engaging cinematic experiences. With Dolby Atmos, filmmakers can place or move sounds anywhere in the movie theatre, creating a sound field so natural and realistic that moviegoers feel as if they are in the center of the action like never before,” said Doug Darrow, Senior Vice President, Cinema, Dolby Laboratories.

About Dolby Atmos

Dolby Laboratories is equipping the cinema world with its new Dolby Atmos technology. Dolby Atmos unleashes the potential of sound in storytelling by providing sound experts the creative freedom to easily place or move specific sounds anywhere in the movie theatre, not just where there happen to be speakers. The result is what moviegoers have described as the most engaging and lifelike cinema sound experience ever.

Introduced in April 2012, Dolby Atmos has been embraced by all the major Hollywood studios, six Academy Award® winning directors, and 10 Academy Award winning sound mixers, among others. More than 250 Dolby Atmos screens have been installed or committed to in 30 countries with over 85 exhibitor partners. More than 70 films from 10 different countries—representing a broad range of genres, from action thrillers and animated features, to comedy and horror—have been or are scheduled to be released with Dolby Amos sound since the first film debuted in June 2012. Dolby Atmos has received technical achievement awards from both the Hollywood Post Alliance and the Cinema Audio Society.

About Dolby Laboratories

Dolby Laboratories (NYSE: DLB) creates audio, video, and voice technologies that transform entertainment and communications in mobile devices, at the cinema, at home, and at work. For nearly 50 years, sight and sound experiences have become more vibrant, clear, and meaningful in Dolby. For more information please visit dolby.com.

About HARMAN

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety, and audio technologies. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 14,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.3 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2013.

Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories. Dolby Atmos is a trademark of Dolby Laboratories.

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HARMAN’s New Crown DriveCore™ Install Series Amplifiers Debut In Denmark’s First Dolby Atmos™ Movie Theater

STRUER, Denmark — The Cinema Apollon in the Danish town of Struer has long been associated with offering moviegoers the latest and best in cinema technology. In 2013 the Cinema Apollon continues its commitment to the cutting edge with the installation of the first Dolby Atmos surround-sound system, powered by the first of HARMAN’s Crown DriveCore Install (DCi) Series amplifiers in Denmark.

Dolby Atmos is a new surround-sound technology that employs overhead loudspeakers as well as traditional surround speakers to create a remarkably realistic and enveloping sonic environment. Dolby Atmos employs up to 64 loudspeakers to heighten the realism and impact of movie theater sound. The Cinema Apollon is the first to feature the CP850 Dolby Atmos Cinema Processor in one of its theaters.

Danish HARMAN Professional distributor LydRommet Denmark worked hand in hand with Danish theater design firm AVC Kino Digital and Dolby technical staff in London in designing and specifying the system for the 180-seat Dolby Atmos theater. The system had to meet specific Dolby Atmos criteria, including maximum SPL levels for every speaker in the installation. LydRommet Denmark supplied the Crown DCi analog amplifiers and JBL loudspeakers and subwoofers.

The Crown DCi analog amplifiers in the Cinema Apollon include DCi models 8|300, 4|600 and 4|300. The amplifiers power an extensive complement of JBL loudspeakers including JBL ScreenArray® 3732 main speakers and 4642A subwoofers, 42 model 8350 cinema surround speakers and two JBL 4645C subwoofers that provide additional low-frequency reinforcement at the rear of the theater.

The Crown DCi analog amps were specified for their ability to deliver clean, powerful sound from a compact design only 2U rack spaces high, noted Flemming Bjerke of LydRommet. “The Dolby Atmos specification requires 105dB peak SPL at the reference point in the theater, and one of the biggest challenges we had with the system was achieving this spec with enough headroom,” said Bjerke. “DCi is such a high-quality amplifier range that it is a perfect match for Dolby Atmos.”

Bjerke emphasized how exciting it was to work with the experts from AVC and Dolby in creating the first Dolby Atmos system in Denmark, stating, “listening to the final result is a real joy and the Dolby Atmos technology and concept definitely take the experience of going to movie theaters to a much higher level.”

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson®, and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with Harman audio and infotainment systems. Harman has a workforce of about 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

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