What to know:
- Reply’s new headquarters features a 100-seat auditorium located beneath the courtyard of the restored building, designed for maximum versatility to host everything from conferences and training courses to TED-style talks and parties.
- CODA systems were selected because they offer an extraordinary power-to-size ratio.
- The final result "perfectly blends architectural elegance with high-end audio performance."
New Underground Auditorium Turns to CODA Audio HOPS System
Reply, an Italian-based global IT consulting, systems integration, and digital services company, recently created a new 100-seat auditorium located beneath the courtyard of its headquarters. The project, completed by ACPV ARCHITECTS and technology integrator Decima 1948, was designed for maximum versatility to host everything from conferences and training courses to TED-style talks and parties. For maximum sonic power and clarity, CODA Audio solutions were selected.
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Crucial to the success of this flexible space was audio which could deliver for a variety of event-types, while having minimal visual impact on the room’s design. Following a specific request from the architects, experienced technology integrator Decima 1948 was engaged by Reply to design and install the entire multimedia ecosystem of the auditorium, including its CODA Audio sound system.
“We chose CODA because their systems offer an extraordinary power-to-size ratio," Enzo Trovato, CEO at Decima explained. "The compact dimensions of the CODA cabinets allowed us to deliver world-class sound quality and high SPL without compromising the aesthetic vision. Furthermore the system’s versatility was instrumental in guaranteeing perfect coverage across the various configurations enabled by the auditorium’s mobile platforms.”
The system was designed by Decima’s technical department together with Marco Trame from acoustics and multimedia experts Cavea Engineering, before being fine-tuned by Massimo Cafaro, Decima’s CODA Audio specialist.
“The auditorium features a breathtaking ancient Roman wall that serves as a backdrop, contrasted by high-tech elements such as a 17m LED wall which emerges automatically from a lateral slot," Cafaro described. "The entire space is highly mechanized; for example, PTZ cameras and teleprompters automatically emerge from the floor in front of the presenter’s platform. The main challenge for us was integrating this advanced automation with the historic surroundings, while maintaining acoustic excellence. The system deployment was strategically planned to ensure high fidelity uniform coverage and total architectural integration - the choice of CODA Audio loudspeakers allowed us to achieve the perfect balance between the two.”
A system based on CODA Audio’s compact HOPS (High Output Point Source) range was installed. This comprised three HOPS7-Pro units as the main L-C-R system, supported by 4 x HOPS5 units for stage monitoring and four D5-Cube ultra-compact units as frontfills. Low frequencies are handled by a pair of U12 ultra-compact subwoofers, with an additional two U15 subs a available for events requiring more power. The entire system is driven by three CODA Audio LINUS6.4D (Dante-enabled) amplifiers, ensuring seamless digital networking, total control, and maximum headroom.
To achieve maximum visual discretion, the system is primarily located within a black slot in the venue’s false ceiling. This arrangement includes the main PA and stage monitoring components, whilst the frontfills on the stage are retractable, ‘disappearing’ into the structure when not required. For system management, the DSP is sent to the LINUS amplifiers via Dante and, via control network, allows the audio to perfectly adapt to the transformation of the room through all its motorised configurations. CODA’s LINUS Q-SYS a plug-in manages all the main parameters of the amplifiers and recalls and modifies them in real time from the main operator console or any installed touch panel.
“This excellent Decima installation perfectly blends architectural elegance with high-end audio performance, and we’re very proud to see CODA Audio chosen for such a prestigious project," concluded CODA Audio global head of sales and marketing, David Webster. "The system is a great example of how the compact yet powerful HOPS Series can help preserve the design aesthetic of a project without any compromise on audio quality."
