Among Canada’s top research institutions, Simon Fraser University (SFU), has established a cutting-edge acoustics lab equipped with two TiMax spatial processors 128 Renkus-Heinz C Series loudspeakers to support its research in the field of immersive communication and spatial acoustics processing.

Located across British Columbia’s three largest cities – Burnaby, Surrey and Vancouver – SFU offers programmes ranging from Anthropology to Marine Science. The university’s drive to leverage technology for societal benefit led to the creation of a new lab focused on 3D multimedia applications, including surround sound, video, and spatial acoustics, commonly referred to as ‘immersive communication’.

Senior professor Rodney Vaughan spearheaded the project and partnered with TiMax, Advanced Audio, DirectOut, Innosonix Technologies, and Renkus-Heinz to bring his vision to life. Renkus-Heinz’s Canadian Distributor, Contact Distribution also played a pivotal role in the project, supplying all technology involved, aside from the microphones.

‘Rodney came to me more than ten years ago with a bold idea for an acoustic lab where we could push the boundaries of sound research,’ recalls TiMax Senior Developer, Tim Bartoo. ‘He talked about creating spaces where, for instance, you could have a bedroom on a noisy street that feels as quiet as the countryside.’

While the project took several years to secure funding, once the grant came through, and Vaughan and Bartoo began assembling a working team. ‘Rodney is known for his expertise in radar and advanced antenna design and he was confident that the equations for sound, though a different medium, would work similarly to those used in his previous research,’ Bartoo notes.

The lab, now a reality, is centred on the two TiMax spatial processors, which were selected for their exceptional spatial functionality and flexibility. This technology is vital for the range of experiments planned in the lab, such as simulating complex soundfields and testing noise-cancelling concepts. In addition to the 128 CX41 loudspeakers, 128 Advanced Audio microphones were installed, interconnected via a Dante network to allow communication between components.

Fred Gilpin, a prominent acoustic consultant, was brought in early to help design the physical set-up of the lab. ‘Fred handled the precision of the speaker placement,’ Bartoo explains. ‘We have about five miles of custom cabling in that room. His attention to detail was critical because every microphone and speaker needed to be precisely located to ensure accurate sound replication.’

The Renkus-Heinz CX41 four-inch coaxial two-way loudspeakers were chosen for their compact size and sonic performance beyond 20kHz. ‘I had worked with Renkus-Heinz before, and I knew the CX41s would be perfect for this project,’ Gilpin says. ‘Phase response was crucial, as much of the sound being tested is off-axis, and the CX41’s natural, transparent sound made it a great fit.’

Renkus-Heinz’s Complex Conic Horn technology also played a role in ensuring consistent coverage throughout the lab. This advanced design provides constant beam width over a wide frequency range, eliminating typical horn-related issues like polar pattern distortion. ‘With Complex Conic Horns, we could ensure the lab had uniform sound coverage, whether on- or off-axis,’ Gilpin says.

Another area of interest for the lab is enhancing room acoustics, particularly in overly reflective environments. By using advanced modelling and soundfield control, researchers hope to develop systems that analyse a room’s acoustics and compensate for excessive reverberation, improving intelligibility and sound quality in challenging spaces.

Beyond these research projects, Bartoo is excited about testing TiMax’s new reverberation subsystem in the lab. ‘We’ve incorporated four reverb engines that can create dynamic, localised reverberation in different parts of the room,’ he says. ‘With the lab’s configuration, we can simulate anything from a cavernous cathedral to a tight, controlled acoustic space. It’s going to be fascinating to see how well these reverberation patterns replicate reality in such a controlled environment.’

The lab has already drawn significant interest from the academic and research communities, with numerous proposed projects on the horizon. ‘We recently completed our first 128-channel recording,’ Bartoo says. ‘We walked around the room, talking and clapping, and when we played it back, you could pinpoint exactly where the sounds were coming from. When you closed your eyes, you could visualise who was where in the room. It’s pretty neat.’

As the lab continues to evolve, the potential for immersive communication research at SFU is immense. With a focus on understanding and manipulating sound fields, and the help of industry-leading technologies, this facility is poised to make significant contributions to the future of acoustic technology and its real-world applications.