Cannes: Images Released of Super Home Cinema Kit

In case U missed it – check this out!!

Cannes is no doubt the number one place in Europe, if not the world, or the seduction of stars of the silver screen. To be among the list of partners of this event, and to attract the accolades of the public, the company Soft ADS who specialise in the field of broadcast and home cinema, installed a top-notch Home Cinema system on the beach!

It was at the Palmeraie, the private beach of the Martinez Hotel that we witnessed the demonstrations of Michel Sonnier’s team.

It was on a moving surface (sand), levelled out, that an ultra rigid structure was erected. It was on this structure that the savoir-faire in terms of installation and integration were demonstrated. Around three days of assembly were required to put the whole kit together.



The company Soft ADS specialises in the design of high class installations, catering for an elite clientele with tailor-made installations: "A large number of our customers look for the best in remote control, integration and above all, the spectacular. We thus decided to present a complete configuration here, calling upon the real cream when it comes to sound and video" explained Michel Sonnier.
The result is in keeping with the latter statement. For the video section, we find a tri-tube Barco Cine Max. It was accompanied by a professional Vigatech brand scaler which is capable, according to the installers, to give a better result than many of its more expensive competitors.
When it came to sources, three DVD players were fitted into a special removable housing, measuring more than 2 metres. Two Micromega players as well as a Pioneer DVD 747 for the DVD Audio part were relayed to the scaler in YUV, ensuring an optimal signal for the Ciné Max.
When it came to the screen, Soft ADS who have been working for some years with Oray opted for a micro perforated MASK screen. This unit, mounted on a rigid frame, allows the spectator to watch, on one sole screen, all the formats and images available. It is in fact a motorised mask that defines the dimensions of the screen.



In the sound department, connoisseurs will recognise the signature of Soft ADS, privileging yet again the JBL Synthesis One system. This multi-channel audio configuration is mounted here in "Extended" version with two extra rear speakers. All the elements placed on the ceiling are mounted in lifts in order to camouflage the speakers and the projector.
The speaker system is managed by three amplifier blocks from JBL (more than 1,000 watts) as well as a JBL SDP40 processor right out of the Lexicon labs. You may note that this little beastie is none other than a Lexicon MC12 which has been customised in terms of colour and façade and implanted in timber casing.
The other important element is the presence of a filtration system dedicated to the re-equalisation of the front channels and the subwoofers. The inclusion of this system allows for the remodelling of sound curves in order to maximise the performance of the speakers.
The icing on the cake is the fact that the whole kit is managed by a Crestron brand remote control unit that not only commands virtually all of the audio/video system as well as the lights.

The other originality presented is the Odyssée system by the Canadian company D-Box, based on the principle of the simulation of movements of seats served by the images. In more concrete terms: a controller is installed relayed to four hydraulic units capable of simulating accelerations of 2G. The latter are placed under the four corners of a platform (this one supports three seats). For this installation, four platforms were needed to support the 12 seats. The whole set of hydraulic units is linked to a module that manages the signal from the CD-ROM and the amplitude of the movements of each hydraulic unit. In any case, in the end, the result is that of being able to immerse the spectator in the action of the film, as much in a crash as in the movement of a steady-cam.



On the acoustics side, it’s pretty obvious that this kind of installation necessitates a big budget. Here again, everything has been selected in order to insulate, process and correct. We did note one small fault, notably during audio listening sessions. The diffusion was too direct, doubtless because of the smooth wooden pillars too close to the speakers. They reflect the sound and sometimes create slight distortion. According to Soft ADS "We’re thinking about re-doing the acoustics, which is why for the moment we are working on a more coherent configuration. We thus wish to create a space in which we integrate materials stemming from the field of aeronautics. We’re working at the moment with Dassault, who will soon be delivering panels allowing for a more optimal acoustic processing".

In passing, the company Arkamys Sound Process, the French specialists in audio spatialisation, presented – to professionals and the media – their audio postproduction process. Here again, we noted the infatuation of the specialists for this process, which, to my mind, is not well known enough, because it allows one to give depth and life to certain tracks that are lacking in the latter. Try to check this system out whenever you can!

As you may well understand, we’re looking at an installation here destined to those able to fork out some 300 000 Euros. In any case, the demonstration was a success, because Michel Sonnier managed to sell the installation to the organisers of the Film Festival! I’m still reeling from the efficiency of the D-Box movement simulator. I’ll come back and talk about that at a later date.

- Access the Photo Report

-Access to 360° Photos of the Home Cinema Installation