Carmen®

Mastering acoustics in auditoriums

Opera, symphony or chamber music – how can a venue ensure perfect acoustic conditions for all these performances?

The active system Carmen® enables real-time adjustments to the acoustical characteristics of a performance hall. Musicians and audiences are totally immersed in an acoustic space that offers the most intense musical emotions.

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, United Kingdom

PRESERVING NATURAL ACOUSTICS

Carmen® enhances a venue’s acoustic characteristics without requiring any major architectural modifications other than the integration of cells into the decoration of the room.

The system conforms to the natural propagation of sound within the hall and remains invisible to the audience and musicians.

Carmen® consists of active cells hidden in the room’s walls and ceiling.

Each cell is composed of a microphone and a loudspeaker.

The cells capture and replicate the sounds in real-time, as if they were naturally reflected by the walls. The sound captured by a microphone is processed digitally and broadcast by the associated loudspeaker. Signals are processed locally meaning that whatever is captured by a cell is broadcast only by that cell.

In this manner, the acoustic characteristics of walls and ceiling are virtually modified, while preserving the spatial and temporal consistency of the sound field.

As in a passive performance hall, where sound is created through a series of successive reflections on the ceiling and walls, the Carmen® system creates successive reflections on its cells to enrich the sound field. The multiple cells spread around the auditorium interact with each other to ensure a homogeneous acoustic enhancement.

Respecting the orchestra’s positioning and sound image.

Preserving the natural timbre of musical instruments for both musicians and their audience.

Providing the venue with the greatest range of reverberation times (from 1 to 2.5 seconds).

Carmen®

A one-of-a-kind active electroacoustic technique developed at the CSTB’s research laboratories.

ACOUSTICS OPTIMIZED BY THE CARMEN® SYSTEM

NATURAL ACOUSTICS

A SIMPLE AND ADAPTABLE TECHNOLOGY

Depending on the performance, optimal reverberation time may vary significantly: about one second for theatre and more than two seconds for symphonic music. These variations, necessary both to acoustic quality and comfort, are easily controlled by Carmen® thanks to preprogrammed configurations. The spatial distribution of sound strength and clarity are other characteristics integrated into the system configuration. This advanced control of acoustic parameters also allows Carmen® to abate acoustic deficiencies inherent to the room.

Using only loudspeakers, Carmen® turns into an immersive sound diffusion system. It allows voice reinforcement for theatre and opera but also music diffusion in the hall. Signal routing in the multiple channels is entirely customizable.

The physical elements of the system include high-end professional audio components. The equipment ensures a high dynamic range, inaudible background noise and provides an ultra-linear frequency response. Such characteristics guarantee a perfect sound restitution.

Thanks to all these features, Carmen® remains absolutely invisible to the audience and musicians.

SUPPORT

The CSTB provides an all-inclusive service for the installation of the Carmen® system. From the initial acoustic study to delivery, CSTB experts work in close collaboration with acoustic engineers, architects and project owners to ensure the results meet the highest level of expectations.

An acoustic analysis of the venue is carried out based on the 3D model of the room geometry. It is used to define the number and positions of cells and demonstrate the system’s benefits. Following the installation, the CSTB conducts all necessary adjustments and fine-tuning of the acoustic configurations and provides technical support.

In order to design each Carmen® system, experts use professional software developed at the CSTB research laboratories. The ICARE software, for example, predicts the acoustic descriptors of a performance hall, namely reverberation time, clarity and the sound envelope.

“The installation of the Carmen® system has totally changed the musical life of the Brighton Dome concert hall in particular and Brighton in general. The success achieved has far exceeded anything that anyone could have imagined possible. To the great delight of performers and the audience, making music here is now a great pleasure. In a hall which previously was a frustrating musical venue, we now have an acoustic which is lively, warm and exciting throughout the spectrum of orchestral sonority.”

Barry WORDSWORTH, Orchestra Conductor, Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra (United Kingdom)

DIAGRAM OF THE CARMEN® SYSTEM

Carmen® cells integrated in the walls at the Théâtre des Quinconces in Le Mans

CARMENCITA, A SYSTEM FOR SMALLER VENUES WITH UP TO 700 SEATS

The CSTB also offers the Carmencita system, intended for smaller venues with less than 700 seats. Carmencita implements a new reverberation enhancement technology and integrates multichannel spatial rendering features designed to meet the recent demand of contemporary venues. This new system uses a specific cell architecture and optimized digital signal processing to create natural sounding acoustics for every performance.

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CSTB SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CENTER FOR BUILDING Head office > 84 avenue Jean Jaurès – Champs-sur-Marne – 77447 Marne-la-Vallée cedex 2Phone: +33 (0)1 64 68 82 82 - Fax: +33 (0)1 60 05 70 37 – www.cstb.frMARNE-LA-VALLÉE / GRENOBLE / NANTES / SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS

THÉÂTRE DES QUINCONCES Le Mans (France)

ROYAL THEATRE Norwich (United Kingdom)

GRIMALDI FORUM “SALLE DES PRINCES” Monaco

• 825 seats• Volume: 4,700 m3

• 32 cells• Reverberation time without enhancement:

1.0 second• 9 acoustic configurations, extending

reverberation time to 2.1 seconds

• 1,280 places seats• Volume: 3,800 m3

• 27 cells• Reverberation time without enhancement :

1.1 seconds• 6 acoustic configurations, extending

reverberation time to 2.2 seconds

• 1,900 seats• Volume: 13,500 m3

• 29 cells• Reverberation time without enhancement:

1.2 seconds• 6 acoustic configurations, extending

reverberation time to 2.0 seconds

AYLESBURY WATERSIDE THEATRE Aylesbury (United Kingdom) 1,200 seats

PALACE OF ARTS Miskolc (Hungary) 590 seats

THÉÂTRE MOGADOR Paris (France) 1,800 seats

BRIGHTON DOME Brighton (United Kingdom) 1,900 seats

SALLE MICROPOLIS Besançon (France) 2,000 seats

SALLE PRINCE PIERRE Grimaldi Forum (Monaco) 800 seats

FESTIVAL BERLIOZ La Côte Saint-André (France) 1,100 seats

LA RAMPE Échirolles (France) 800 seats

Other references

A system for prestigious concert halls around the world

Whether inside a building or at the center of a metropolitan area, sounds and vibrations are key considerations in ensuring the quality and comfort of living spaces. Beyond its expertise in room acoustics, the CSTB has competencies in acoustics at all scales, from component materials to urban environments. Technical proficiency coupled with a full array of numerical and experimental methods enable the CSTB to solve the most complex acoustic issues: design and simulate urban soundscapes, predict and treat disturbances emanating from underground works, analyze sophisticated multilayer systems, ensure intelligibility in vehicles, etc.

CONTACTSPaul Chervin / Jan Jagla Phone: +33 (0)4 76 76 25 94 / carmen@cstb.fr

For further information on the CSTB’s expertise in acoustics, go to institut-carnot.cstb.fr