When the movie industry gathers in Arizona for the 18th Sedona International Film Festival on Feb 18-26, 2012, a Meyer Sound EXP™ cinema loudspeaker system will help transform the intimate Mary D. Fisher Theatre into a stunning 120-seat, DCI-compliant cinema. Converted from a former bank building, this new screening venue will present Sedona International Film Festival films throughout the year with the dynamic sonic power and accuracy that distinguish an EXP installation.
The 7.1 surround installation comprises Acheron® Studio screen channel loudspeakers, X-800C high-power cinema subwoofers, HMS-10 cinema surround and UP-4XP loudspeakers, and a Galileo® loudspeaker management system with a direct digital connection to a Dolby CP650 cinema processor.
“We wanted a sound experience that was like no other,” says Patrick Schweiss, the festival’s executive director. “When we found out that Meyer Sound was custom-designing a system just for us, we expected to blow away every other theatre in the area. And—wow—they did not disappoint.”
The theatre doubles as a multi-purpose performance venue, with both the screen and behind-screen loudspeakers designed to be quickly removable. To accommodate lectures, acoustic music ensembles, and stand-up comedians, the theatre has a separate performance PA comprising two UPJ-1P VariO™ loudspeakers and a 500-HP subwoofer.
Toby Payne, president of Technically Integrated, Inc. in Cave Creek, Ariz. handled the audio design. Installation was completed under the supervision of company vice president Jared Payne.
Schweiss decided to choose Meyer Sound EXP when Toby Payne, a long-time consultant to the festival, relayed that the Telluride Film Festival’s Galaxy venue in Colorado also boasted a Meyer Sound EXP system. “I love that theatre up there, and when I found out the same people would do the sound for ours, I just flipped. If anything sends us over the top into a premium class of small theatres, it will be the EXP sound.”
Additional DCI-compliant equipment at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre includes a Barco DP2K-23B projector, Da-Lite perforated screen, and a Doremi ShowVault server.
The 18th annual Sedona International Film Festival will include screenings of 145 films at four locations.
Meyer Sound EXP systems were created exclusively for the uniquely demanding requirements of cinema applications. EXP sound systems are now installed in commercial cinemas in North America, Europe, and Asia. Film sound professionals also rely on EXP monitoring systems in post-production facilities such as Skywalker Sound, Wildfire Studios, and American Zoetrope in California, as well as at De Lane Lea in London.
