The Laupheim Planetarium and Observatory in Ulm, Germany, made the decision to upgrade its audio system to improve integration with the planetarium’s speaker setup, tying the system together with an Allen & Heath ecosystem.
The planetarium’s speaker setup features nine speakers and two subwoofers in a 7.2 configuration, with an additional two speakers installed at the apex of the dome.
The system needed to offer a versatile interface which could be used in the dark by the planetarium’s in-house engineers, as well as the ability to control the planetarium lighting via the same physical controller.
An Allen & Heath AHM-64 audio matrix processor sits at the heart of the system, fitted with a Dante card. The AHM-64’s rear panel analogue outputs are used to feed the nine speakers and two subs in the planetarium, while a DT168 Dante expander is used to provide localised analogue inputs to the system including wireless mic receivers, media players and other auxiliary sound sources.
For control, a pair of IP8 remote controllers were used, featuring eight motorised faders, eight OLED screens and 23 assignable SoftKeys for a configurable mixing experience suitable for use in the planetarium’s dark environment.
The controllers are configured to permit 10 of the faders to handle audio, with the remaining six dedicated to lighting control.
For lighting control from the IP8s, the AHM’s TCP/IP control protocol is used, with the system configured to enable six channels on the AHM to transmit MIDI NRPN data over Ethernet to the lighting computer, where it is translated to DMX.
When the lighting is controlled by the show automation system, the IP8s motorised faders follow, allowing the operator to retake control when needed.