Genelec IP loudspeakers deliver immersive soundscape to Melbourne Museum

Melbourne Museum chose Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers to create an immersive, layered soundscape for its new exhibit, Our Wondrous Planet.

Our Wondrous Planet was due to be the largest gallery redevelopment in the history of Melbourne Museum, setting high expectations for the new exhibit.

“The museum knew what they wanted the exhibit to be from the outset,” said Mike Miller, technical project manager and system designer for the museum. “The rest of the multimedia team and I joined the project during the early development stage as the discussion around interactive elements began to evolve. The plan was to create seven new gallery spaces — all fitted with multimedia systems, including an immersive audio solution.”

The exhibition showcases Earth’s living systems, allowing visitors to experience ocean currents, root networks, coral reefs, rainforest canopies, and the creatures that inhabit these ecosystems.

“We needed a sound system that would create an immersive soundscape, while also isolating audio in each zone to reflect the individual habitat,” explained Miller. “A particular challenge was the large projection screen in the centre of the gallery. It hangs over the open gantry and causes unwanted sound to project down to the gallery floor below. We needed a solution that would allow for clarity and coverage in each zone, without overpowering the surrounding spaces.”

Previous exhibitions at the Melbourne Museum have relied on Genelec loudspeakers to create immersive experiences. “Although this project was more technically demanding, Genelec loudspeakers offer exceptional sound quality and an advanced feature set that has proven crucial in the past,” said Miller. “As a result, Genelec was my first choice for this new exhibition.”

Lumicom, the Australian audio-visual specialists, installed the new sound system, curated by the museum’s multimedia team in collaboration with musicians and sound design duo, Fuligin Sound. “We chose a combination of Genelec’s Smart IP series because we required an easy-to-install PoE solution to connect to the museum’s Dante network,” said Miller. “A total of sixty-nine Smart IP loudspeakers were installed throughout the exhibit.”

The system consists of forty-one compact 4430s, seven 4435 in-ceiling models, and three 4436 pendant loudspeakers to provide the general environmental sounds in each ecosystem, while 18 super-compact 4410s are positioned for more detailed elements. “We wanted the audio to sound like it was coming from specific interactive elements or animals in the exhibit, so the 4410s are discreetly positioned to isolate sound to these areas. Two loudspeakers are even placed inside an octopus,” revealed Miller.

Larger 4430 loudspeakers are deployed around the open gantry and the walkway on level one, to ensure that wherever visitors stand, they feel part of the immersive experience. To avoid overpowering the gallery below and to ensure sound is localised to each zone, eleven channels of audio are mixed in Dolby Atmos to sync loudspeakers with their immersive elements.

“In parallel with the Genelec system is a network of Yamaha passive loudspeakers to deliver the general soundscape, while the Genelecs serve the immersive experiences with the more detailed sound,” said Miller. “This gallery used to hold temporary exhibitions, meaning there are a lot of network patch points. Having a PoE loudspeaker that only needs one cable plugged into the existing infrastructure to be up and running saved significant time during the installation phase. Smart IP Manager also proved incredibly useful for controlling and identifying each loudspeaker during the setup, as well as for day-to-day system management.”

“Our Wondrous Planet has become one of Melbourne Museum’s most popular exhibitions. I’m extremely proud of how the immersive elements have come together to create an experience that feels natural,” said Miller. “The detail and precision delivered by Genelec loudspeakers have been pivotal in making this happen.”