Genelec Sound at Tripping the Light Fantastic!

Sarah Warne Rupert Newman and Aretha Campbell at the opening night of Tripping the Light Fantastic

Recently held in London at the CocknBull Gallery, Tripping the Light Fantastic was a multi-sensory gallery installation by the artist Rupert Newman. Curated by Aretha Campbell, the exhibition showcased Newman’s geometric, kinetic and colourful projection artworks complemented by soundscapes created by Sarah Warne, a film and arts composer signed to Faber Music. The sonic elements of the show were played through a pair of Genelec 8040s.

Rupert Newman is known for his painting and textiles pieces as well as event installations. His work focuses on the relationship between light and surfaces and includes architecture, sculpture and canvas works. This aesthetic approach is frequently from a cross-platform perspective and his shows usually feature a sonic element. Tripping the Light Fantastic is the tenth collaboration between the pair since 2010 and one of several interactive, set piece multi-sensory gallery installations.

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For Sarah Warne, accurate sound reproduction is incredibly important, both during the creative process and for listening pleasure: “Sound playback that I can trust is crucial to me,” she says. “I am often working with multiple sound elements; temporary dialogues, sound FX and the music I am creating. For that reason it is of paramount importance that my mix is transparent and accurate as I want to have faith in what I hear before I send out any music to be mixed. I have worked with a pair of Genelecs for the past four years in a small project studio, and I couldn't be more thrilled with the quality and transparency of the monitors. For me, they also sound great when listening for pleasure.”

The 8040s were supplied by Genelec’s UK distributor Source Distribution: “The brief was to supply a system which was able to reproduce Sarah’s compositions accurately and complement Rupert’s artwork to create an immersive experience for visitors to the exhibition,” says Andy Bensly, Pro Audio Product Specialist at Source. “It was also important to provide a system which would be discreet, so as not to obstruct sightlines and provide coverage that was even and consistent throughout the gallery. The space itself was quite reflective but had a good low frequency response so the 8040s were more than up to the job. After calibrating the system with the on-board filters, the audio was reproduced accurately and due to the DCW, coverage both on and off axis was excellent.”

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The 8040 is a compact monitor which boasts performance comparable with much larger systems. The bi-amplified 8040A is ideal for use where a wide frequency response is needed but space is limited. This makes the model ideal for nearfield monitoring, project studios, workstations, broadcast and TV control rooms and mobile production vehicles.

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The 8040 features an ingenious, flow optimised, reflex port which achieves clear deep bass articulation with no compression or port noises. Combined with the advanced Genelec Directivity Control Waveguide™ (DCW™), and the rounded edges and gently curved front and sides of the Minimum Diffraction Enclosure™ (MDE™), the result is a monitor which delivers an astoundingly wide, flat frequency response both on and off axis.

Genelec Oy, founded in 1978, is a pioneer of professional audio monitoring with manufacturing facilities and headquarters in Iisalmi, Finland. During the over 35 years of operation, Genelec’s unrivalled commitment to research and development has resulted in a number of industry firsts and a status as the industry leader in active monitors across the globe. Genelec monitoring products remain true to the original philosophy, offering reliability, neutral sound reproduction regardless of size, as well as the ability to adapt frequency response to the listening environment. Genelec clients receive paramount support in all aspects of the field, from acoustical advice and calibration services to technical service and long product life span. Buying a Genelec product is the soundest investment in audio monitoring. Genelec provides high end audio experiences to professionals in broadcast and music post-production as well as home audio market through subsidiaries in the United States and China as well as partnerships with local distributors across the world.

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