Systems for active acoustics can be divided into two categories: "inline" and "regenerative" (or "non-inline") systems. Amadeus focuses on the regenerative approach but combines the best of both worlds, making it a hybrid system.

• In inline systems, feedback from loudspeakers to microphones is avoided, and acoustic enhancement comes purely from algorithmic or convolution reverb. This is why microphones have to sit as close to musicians or sound sources as possible.

• In regenerative systems, acoustic enhancement comes from controlled regeneration — from loudspeakers, through the room's own acoustics, back to the microphones. In a safe, stable state, this achieves a very natural sound experience.

ART Acoustics is a hybrid system: a regenerative approach for natural acoustic enhancement, combined with an inline approach to boost loudness indoors or generate a sound field outdoors.

It's not yet possible to fully simulate active acoustics systems in commercially available acoustic simulation software. That said, loudspeaker arrangements can still be planned for sufficient sound levels and even coverage across the listening areas. Check out our Academy's Online Trainings for more on System Design.

Immersive sound is the term for any system or sound design built to fully immerse an audience in a sound scene — sound projected from any spatial direction to the listener, creating localization and envelopment.

ART::IP runs standalone, or in parallel with ART::AP (our acoustics module) on the same ART::Hub. It works in an object-based manner and, in its current v2 generation, handles up to 128 objects and up to 256 outputs simultaneously (v1 systems support up to 64 objects and 128 outputs — ask us which generation your installation runs).

Based on a 3D model of the room, live signals or audio files can be moved and played continuously, using two distinct source types. Performer sources localize performers on stage, using our Amadeus Precedence Panning algorithms to keep their position accurate and true to where they stand. Spatial sources handle audience envelopment, using Amadeus Wavefield Panning or Amadeus Amplitude Panning to move sound around the room itself. Object size can be adjusted for either type. Virtual speaker configurations let you achieve standard surround formats (5.1, 9.1, and others), and pre-produced 3D material can be stored in the system and recalled through ART::Director. A plugin integrates easily into standard DAWs for pre-production and mixing, sending control data straight to the system, and general-purpose inputs like OSC connect external devices.

Our Amadeus Geometric approach calculates early reflections based on a 3D model of the given room and the directional placement of source positions. This keeps the sound inherently natural, since the active acoustics enhancement is seamlessly interleaved with the room's own prevailing acoustics.

The processing itself is time-invariant, without coloration or noticeable latency. A 128-channel reverb generator is built in, taking early-reflection patterns into account to expand what the reverb enhancement can do.

We're independent of any specific loudspeaker or microphone brand — Amadeus demands quality components, but we work with more than 70 audio manufacturers. Where other systems offer room acoustics and 3D audio as separate devices, ART::AP and ART::IP run in parallel on the same hardware, opening up sound design possibilities most systems can't reach.

ART::DSP itself is built on industrial-grade server hardware rather than specialized DSP silicon — which keeps development and manufacturing costs down compared to purpose-built hardware platforms that demand far more complex programming, and keeps repair and update costs low too.

Through ART::Director, our 3D control application — on a tablet, computer, or dedicated wall panel. Zones, groups, and presets can all be recalled instantly, from inside the venue, with no special training required.

Every Amadeus ART installation follows our Design, Tune, Care process. After the hardware is installed and connected, a certified Amadeus Expert — a specially trained Tonmeister — arrives to calibrate the system technically and tune presets to the specific needs of the venue and its musicians. Our Academy trains and certifies the experts who do this work; see Design. Tune. Care. for the full process and our Expert Levels page for how our partners get certified to do it.

Yes — ART::DSP and ART::Director both support Open Sound Control (OSC), so any control system capable of generating OSC data can drive presets. We also integrate directly with Q-Sys, QLab, Grapes, Spat-AI, and a range of mixing consoles and media control systems.

In general, the room's acoustic situation should be dry and neutral. Ideal reverberation times depend heavily on the room's volume and geometry — in most cases, a design for speech or amplified-sound situations is recommended. With careful planning, though, a more characterful early-reflection design can be merged with versatile active acoustics enhancement. Our support team is happy to work with acousticians on the design — get in touch and we'll bring in the right people.

No — Amadeus is brand-independent. Loudspeakers, amplifiers, microphones, and network components can be selected from more than 70 manufacturers, based on your quality standards and requirements.

Once users, musicians, and performers have had their first real experiences with the system, specific requests and suggestions tend to come up. Our team is available to adjust presets and recalibrate as needed — ongoing support and suggestions are part of what we do, backed by our ART::Care support and maintenance package.

In a typical outdoor setup, sound comes from the front, facing the audience. We've developed an approach that instead makes outdoor sound behave like it does in a concert hall — with the reflections and diffuse reverberation you'd expect indoors. Every hall has its own acoustic signature, and we can capture that signature and apply it in real time outdoors: for a chamber music concert, church-like acoustics, or a sophisticated 3D soundscape. We can even transfer a room's acoustic properties from indoors to an outdoor setting, giving the audience the same acoustic experience either way.

Speakers need to be distributed around the audience: at least one horizontal ring to the side, plus suspended systems above the audience. Side systems should sit 3–5 m apart; greater distances can work for the overhead systems. A smaller number of loudspeakers around and above the stage handle source positioning for performers.

Construction time scales with venue size — for example, budget around 2 days for roughly 600 listeners across approximately 480 square meters.

Background noise varies widely by setting and can't be eliminated entirely. The audience sits in an open structure, hearing the performance the way they would in a concert hall, along with ambient noise from outside — so it's essential that the performance is transmitted significantly louder than that background noise. Compared to indoor active acoustics, outdoor sound may need a bit more amplification.

No — Amadeus is usually added to an existing sound reinforcement system rather than replacing it. Instruments need to be equipped with microphones to deliver sufficient sound output.

Amadeus provides ART::DSP (the core signal processing engine, running on ART::Hub 2 or ART::Box hardware) with software modules (ART::IP, ART::AP, etc.) and the ART::Director for control, along with system design, calibration, and tuning services through our Design, Tune, Care process.

Third-party components typically include microphones, loudspeakers, amplifiers, signal converters, network switches, and a control tablet or computer. Installation and commissioning of the system is handled by a system integration company.

Microphones and loudspeakers typically connect to a technical room using standard cabling. Signals are converted to the digital domain using Dante and processed on ART::DSP. The system is then controlled through ART::Director — on a computer — letting you switch presets and snapshots from right inside the room.