UK postproduction facility Molinare had announced the opening of its Dolby Atmos 4K HDR theatre, The Jack Cardiff Theatre, the largest room of its kind in London.
The new room represents the latest in a series of substantial investments made over the past two years, and is also a continued demonstration of the company’s ambition to deliver optimum audio and picture postproduction services.
‘The UK has always been one of the number one destinations in the world for a studio or director to get their film made,’ says Molinare CEO, Nigel Bennett. ‘We have the best creative talent and technical minds to deliver the very best, that’s why it’s such an exciting industry to work in.’
Previously a grading suite, the theatre has undergone structural changes to cater for the acoustic requirements of Dolby Atmos, making it a completely built-for-purpose facility, with mixers and colourists in mind. Molinare worked closely with acoustic architects Level Acoustic Design, audio specialist HHB Communications and Bell Theatre Services, who provided the majority of the equipment.
The upgrade includes two large 32-fader Avid S6 desks designed for dual-operator use and one of the largest dual-operated S6 consoles in London, configured in a 16ft-wide, fully flexible console system, custom built by audio design specialist, Soundz Fishy. In addition to the audio investment, the theatre boasts a Christie 4K HDR Laser Projector and 8m screen, with a grading desk equipped with the latest Baselight.
Additional equipment includes, multiple Pro Tools HDX Rigs, with the latest Avid MTRX and Sync X interfaces for audio routing and synchronisation, as well as SPQ Processing for loudspeaker calibration. An Adder KVM over IP matrix is used for all systems, with multiple adaptable mix and edit positions, providing comprehensive control of all systems.
‘The opportunity to work on a room like Jack Cardiff, which has been designed to such a high technical and acoustic specification, is always a pleasure,’ says HHB Chief Technology Officer, John Johnson. ‘The sheer amount of structural work and technical infrastructure behind the scenes makes the theatre a great environment to work in.’
The room also makes use of Dante Audio-over-IP to integrate Molinare’s other Atmos suites and audio endpoints, supporting collaboration across the facility. These include Focusrite Remote Mic Preamps for use when recording Foley, crowd and ADR, Glensound AD/DA and headphone amplifiers, and Crown Dante amplifiers paired with JBL cinema loudspeaker systems.
‘The re-opening of our Jack Cardiff Theatre is not only a personally proud achievement for the team and I, but is a testament to Molinare’s growth plans and a draw for the UK Creative Industries as a whole,’ Bennett says.
