Genelec provides Danish retreat with a sustainable Smart IP solution

Set in the rolling hills of the Danish countryside, HimmerLand is an idyllic resort combining golf and spa facilities with award-winning bistros, a bowling alley, outdoor sporting activities and flexible meeting spaces. Known as the place where leisure, pampering and professionalism meet, HimmerLand recently expanded its offering to include a large multipurpose hall, smaller meeting rooms, a golf simulator and fitness centre. Leading the AV design and integration was COMM2IG — a Danish company specialising in technology solutions — who opted for a Genelec Smart IP loudspeaker system.

“The off-axis dispersion of Genelec models is excellent, which is very helpful for meeting rooms,” explains Søren Maibom, solution manager and sound designer at COMM2IG. “HimmerLand also wanted a very Nordic design for these spaces, and Genelec’s form factor works really well in this context. In fact, the team wanted to hide the loudspeaker system initially, but after seeing how sleek and beautiful Genelec’s Smart IP models were, they decided to put them in full view right next to the screens!”

COMM2IG chose six of Genelec’s 4430 Smart IP loudspeakers in black for the meeting spaces. “The Smart IP models were an excellent fit as they offer a local analogue input in addition to being a networked IP solution. They can also be monitored remotely, which is great for troubleshooting,” says Maibom. As COMM2IG were concluding their work on HimmerLand’s new meeting rooms, the resort threw the integrators a new brief — to completely renovate the resort’s existing bar into the new Larsens Sportsbar & Bistro in a timeframe of just five months.

The models are easy to set up and use, and the Smart IP Manager software is a game changer.

Following the success of the Smart IP solution in the meeting rooms, Maibom and his team once again looked to the brand for help with Larsens. “We decided on another Smart IP solution — comprising a combination of 22 of the 4420 and 4430 models — mainly because of the tight timeframe we were working to,” he explains. “The models are incredibly easy to set up and use, and the Smart IP Manager software is a game changer.”

Genelec’s Smart IP Manager seamlessly solves installation-specific audio problems. The software tools can handle room equalisation, system organisation, status monitoring and more, saving integrators large amounts of time in configuration and calibration, and ensuring that the Smart IP system is performing at its very best — in any acoustic environment.

For HimmerLand, the attraction to Genelec wasn’t just the superior sound quality of Smart IP loudspeakers, but the brand’s commitment to sustainability, too. The resort is dedicated to preserving the picturesque countryside it calls home by reducing its carbon footprint wherever possible. The low power consumption of the Smart IP family — with its efficient Class D amplifier design and PoE compatibility — aligned completely with HimmerLand’s values.

The Genelec loudspeakers sound amazing and, most importantly, are sustainable.

“The facility manager didn’t believe me when I told him that the power consumption for the whole system was just 120 W! He thought that was insane,” recalls Maibom. “When all 22 loudspeakers in the sports bar are run at an SPL of 75 dB, they draw around 5.2 W each, which is amazing and largely unheard of.

“This is why Smart IP was a great fit for HimmerLand. The loudspeakers are good looking and extremely powerful, as well as being sustainable. They use recycled aluminium, run off a single CAT cable, have low power consumption, and the fact that they use efficient Class D onboard amplification means that they don’t produce much heat, which reduces the load on the resort’s air conditioning.”

On the ground floor, COMM2IG supplied a Smart IP solution across the entrance hall, bar area, seating area and a VIP space for private parties. On the first floor, the volume is louder as it caters for a more typical sports bar/nightclub vibe, so most of the loudspeakers were installed there, alongside four screens that show regular sports content. Additionally, there is a children’s playroom with interactive projection, where a set of Smart IP models are installed, too. AMX is used to control the video and a Q-SYS control system takes care of the audio.

“The feedback from the client has been exceptional,’ concludes Maibom. “Everyone is really happy with the system and how it looks. We know that the new system will serve HimmerLand well — for many years to come.”