• Reduces acoustical/monitoring problems

• Improves tonal balance and soundstage

• Trust your monitors and focus on the mix

Introduction

The Optimizer is designed to improve the audio monitoring in music, post-production and broadcast control rooms. It helps sound engineers to:

• Feel confident that what they hear comes from the mix, not from the room,
• Listen to their work with unprecedented accuracy and resolution,
• Achieve higher quality mixes with less ear fatigue.

The Optimizer takes control of the room’s acoustics, allowing for consistent monitoring throughout the production chain.

Benefits for Audio Professionals

By taking the room out of the acoustic equation, the Optimizer greatly improves the accuracy and consistency of your monitoring system. When your room is under control, you can trust your monitors, focus on the mix, and ultimately achieve higher quality mixes that translate well from one room to another.

Higher Resolution audio monitoring...

• consistent frequency response across the full range, free from the masking effect of peaks due to room modes and reflections,
• wider and deeper soundstage, more focused and localized phantom images,
• focus on your mix and forget the room, as the loudspeakers become seamless.

... allows you to achieve Better Mixes

• make mixing decisions confidently, without being influenced by the room’s acoustics,
• find EQ, panning and reverb settings faster,
• obtain consistent mixes through the production chain,
• dramatically reduced ear fatigue due to increased overall intelligibility.

...top

Features

The two main features of the Optimizer are:

• Optimization of loudspeaker/room acoustics
• Optimization of the loudspeaker positions in 3D

In addition to these digital acoustics features, the Optimizer also provides:

• Fine Tuning functionality
• an Easy to Use interface for setup, integration and daily use

1) Optimization of Loudspeaker/Room Acoustics

Simply put, it is a sophisticated equalization that corrects the frequency response of the speakers, both in amplitude and phase. The Optimizer corrects the tonal balance to obtain a neutral timbre for every speaker, but it goes much further than an equalizer: it also corrects the phase response to achieve a high resolution stereophonic image with well-focused phantom sources.

The Optimizer starts with the acoustic phenomenon that are mostly deterministic, and gradually moves to the ones that are mostly statistic.

• Correction of Early Reflections (Direct Field):
  The Optimizer analyses the measurements in the time-frequency domain to identify Early Reflections. Depending on their amplitude, frequency, direction and arrival time, the Optimizer will compensate for them to a certain extent, or not try to compensate for them. After this process, each loudspeaker's response is "clean" from the early reflections that it is possible to correct with digital technology. The other reflections are not touched.

• Correction of the Room Energy:
  In this second stage the Optimizer analyzes the measurements in the frequency domain only (the response of the system in steady state). 
• Compensation of Resonance Modes (in the low range):
  the Optimizer identifies resonance modes in the range where they can be clearly differentiated, roughly up to 300Hz. It applies individual filters to compensate each resonance mode.
• Smoothing of the reverberation (in the mid and high range):
  The Optimizer analyzes the room's frequency response, related to the coloration of the room's reverberation. Another filter is applied to smoothly compensate for this coloration.

All the subtlety of the Optimizer resides in its knowledge of the defects that shouldn't be tried to correct for without creating even more problems.

2) Optimization of Loudspeaker Positions in 3D

The Remapping technology of the Optimizer is based on the ability to calculate the acoustic field that is produced by a set of loudspeakers. This calculation is possible thanks to the Fourier-Bessel decomposition of the acoustic field into a certain number of coefficients that correspond to the spherical harmonics. Just as the Fourier decomposition is commonly used to analyze a signal in the frequency domain, the Fourier-Bessel decomposition can be used to analyze an acoustic field in the space domain, by decomposing into a sum of elementary radiation patterns that are referred to as spherical harmonics in mathematics.

Thanks to its measurement probe with 4 capsules, the Optimizer can determine in 3D the real positions of the loudspeakers. On the other hand, the Optimizer knows the reference positions defined by the standard of the target system, for example ITU 775. The Optimizer can then compute the remapping matrix that must be applied to the input signal to create the same acoustic field that would be obtained if the speakers where positioned correctly.

How it works

The function that provides the resulting acoustic field from the input signals is called a "radiation matrix". In a pseudo math notation: Input Signal * Radiation Matrix = Acoustic Field

a) Real radiation matrix:
the Optimizer first computes the radiation matrix of the real system, in other words the radiation matrix that corresponds to the measured loudspeaker positions. This is possible because the Optimizer knows the exact positions of the loudspeakers in 3D. 

This radiation matrix for the real system allows to calculate the actual acoustic field that is produced by the measured loudspeaker placement. 

b) Ideal radiation matrix:
on the other hand, the Optimizer can calculate the radiation matrix for the reference placement, because the loudspeaker positions of the reference placement are, by definition, clearly defined. 

This radiation matrix for the reference system allows to calculate the ideal acoustic field that would be produced if the loudspeakers were positioned correctly, according to the reference placement. 

c) Remapping matrix:
the last stage is to find out the additional processing that should be applied to the input signal in order to obtain the ideal acoustic field from the measured loudspeaker system. This is done by inverting the Real Radiation Matrix:

Remapping Matrix = Radiation Matrix of the ideal system * (radiation matrix of the real system)-1

Conclusion:
This Remapping Matrix is computed once (after the loudspeaker positions have been measured) and applied in real time to the input signals to compute the output signals that should be sent to each loudspeaker in order to obtain the reference acoustic field. 

Note: in the case where the number of inputs is different from the number of outputs, one could describe this remapping technology as a universal downmixing/upmixing algorithm for 3D audio reproduction.  (See AES Convention Paper 6375 for a detailed explanation of the algorithm) 

3) Fine Tuning

• multiple music and cinema modes available,
• fine-tune the sound to your personal tastes with custom target curves,
• store multiple presets for different listening positions and loudspeaker layouts,
• patented remapping algorithm repositions each loudspeaker according to the ITU placement.

4) Easy to Use

• 3 minutes calibration without the need of additional tools,
• automatically defines and applies the optimal correction for your room,
• measurement, analysis and processing all in one box,
• user-friendly interface via touch screen,
• fully remote controllable.

...top

Technical Specifications - Excerpt

• Level, time, and frequency response alignment
• State-of-the-art time-frequency algorithms
• Speaker configurations : stereo, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1
• Mono and Stereo Bass management
• Up to 24 channels at 48kHz, and 12 channels at 96 kHz
• 176.4 and 192kHz supported for stereo setups (up to 3 channels)
• Ready for 22.2. and digital cinema (DCI standard)
• Supported reproduction standards: EBU Tech 3276-E, AES TD 1001.1.01-10, ITU R-775-1, SMPTE 202M and ISO 2969 (curve X), SMPTE 222M, Dolby 5.1 Guide, Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing Recommendations for Surround Sound Production, Multichannel Monitoring Tutorial Booklet
• Analog and Digital (AES, MADI or ADAT) audio interfaces
• Word clock In & Out
• Calibration duration: 30 seconds per channel
• Current configuration can be stored to 30 user presets
• Remote control via IR, GPI option, or networked computer
• Available on 3U and 4U 19” rackmounts
• Optional integrated or external touchscreen
• Warranty: 2 years

...top

Customers

The Trinnov Optimizer is being used in world-class studios, OB vans, sound reinforcement and research & education facilities.

> Please go to our Customers page to find out more.

...top

In the Press

		Sonovision, May 2008 (France): "With the Trinnov Optimizer (...) our monitoring has improved, and the broadcasted sound has also improved. This was confirmed to us by the journalists and by those who check the live broadcast. It's obvious on the timbre and on the balance: I find them back exactly as I mixed them. It's transparent." Philippe Vaidie, Chief Engineer at France3.
		LineUp, April-May 2008 (UK): "This box of DSP wizardly improved the sound of a somewhat disparate 5.1 system in an average domestic room to a level of precision and quality that I have heard only rarely in top professional control rooms!" ...read the full review: LineUp_0408.pdf (125.9 kB)
		MasterFiles, April 2008 (Netherlands): "In an acoustically well treated room, the Optimizer works surprisingly well, by making subtle but relevant treatments on multiple acoustical problems."
		Recording Magazin, Jan 2008 (Germany): "for professional recording-studios, film- and game-music production, this system is a worthwhile investment to keep up with the ever growing and changing demands, formats and monitoring situations in your daily work."
		Audioholics, Dec 2007 (USA): "To get it right in our listening environments we’ll have to fulfill three conditions- (1) get all loudspeakers to voice the same, (2) exactly duplicate the placement used in the studio where the mix was done, and (3) do it with detail intact."
		Professional Audio Magazin, Oct 2007 (Germany) : "The Optimizer from Trinnov Audio has confirmed in pratice our high expectations. [...] Astonishment is guaranteed." (conclusion of the Review of the Optimizer)
		Sonovision, Sept 2007 (France): "The quality of the monitoring and the accurate spatialization has convinced several directors" (about France3's new HD OB Van)
		Resolution Magazine, May 2007 (UK): "The secret weapon in SK3 is the Trinnov Optimizer loudspeaker and room response correction tool." (about ORF's SK3 control room in Vienna)
		Resolution Magazine, volume 5.3, April 2006 "Three Dimensional Manipulation of Audio leads to Universally Consistent Reproduction" Resolution_April2006.pdf (305.5 kB)
		Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, volume 53, number 3, March 2005 "Vertical Localization of Loudspeakers" jaes118.pdf (203.5 kB)

...go to the press articles archive

Brochures & Additional Reading

• Download the Brochure for Audio Professionals:
  Optimizer_Pro_EN_V5web.pdf (1.2 MB)
• Download the Brochure for Hi-Fi and Home-Cinema:
  Optimizer_Cons_EN_V3web.pdf (1.3 MB)
• Go to Michael Gerzon's Article on Digital Room Equalization (on audiosignal.co.uk)

...top

Screenshots

Loudspeaker Positions in 3D

• Reference positions (grenn color) vs. measured positions (light blue - orange):

Loudspeaker/Room Acoustics

• Amplitude response before and after correction:

notice the difference between Left and Right loudspeaker behavior in the room

• Phase response before and after correction: first example

• Phase response before and after correction: second example

...top

3D Simulations

As illustrated in the following 3D simulations, deconvolution provides spectacular results when applied to the compensation of early reflections.

When a loudspeaker produces a wave front in a room, the walls produce secondary wave front. At the begining is is easy to identify each elementary reflections but after some time, the reflections are so numerous that it becomes impossible to separate them, it is the reverberation.

The Optimizer compensates separately and with different methods the early reflections and the reverberation. Deconvolution provides best results when only applied to early reflections, while minimal phase (or linear phase) equalization provides best results when applied to the reverberation.

When a loudspeaker is placed in free air or in anechoic chamber, only one wave front is produced at the listening spot. Let's consider the first reflection produced by a wall placed immediatly behind the loudspeaker. The reflection against the wall creates a secondary wave front. When the loudspeaker is producing a single pulse, 2 wave fronts are produced at the listening spot. When this condition is compensated with deconvolution techniques, the second wave front is strongly cancelled at the listening position, where any other equalization method would fail. The result of deconvolution leads the loudspeaker to fire a second time after producing the primary pulse and to produce a second pulse whose wave front is the identical inverse to the wave front of the reflection. The inversed wave front produced by the loudspeaker cancels the reflection and the original single wave front is retrieved.

		Propagation of a wave in a room of 5m x 4m reflexion.wmv (16.3 MB)
		Before deconvolution: wave front produced by a loudspeaker in free air conditions hp.wmv (2.9 MB)
		Before deconvolution: secondary wave front introduced by a reflection hpfirstref.wmv (3.5 MB)
		After deconvolution: modified wave front produced by the loudspeaker in free air conditions hpandcorrec.wmv (3.1 MB)
		After deconvolution: reflection cancelled allCorrec.wmv (3.5 MB)

© Copyright Trinnov Audio 2005-2008, All Rights Reserved.
For website-related comments, please contact