Jakarta-based acoustician Handy Widjaya recently acquired a Prism Sound Atlas interface and is deploying it as part of his workflow to check acoustic measurements in numerous high-end installations.
Widjaya is the founder of PT Esa Sinergi Selaras Indonesia, which undertakes integrated and comprehensive projects ranging from designing acoustic interiors and audio systems in auditoriums, recording studios and meeting rooms to installing and checking low noise air conditioning, stage lighting, automation and control systems. His clients include schools, universities, houses of worship, concert halls, ballrooms and customers who are installing private cinemas.
Among the many installations Handy’s company has carried out is the Auditorium Universitas Parahyangan in Bandung, which is regarded as the auditorium with some of the best acoustics in Indonesia. This is one of more than 60 auditoriums PT Esa Sinergi Selaras has completed, with others including the Auditorium Universitas Indonesia and Auditorium Universitas Bunda Mulia in Jakarta; Auditorium Universitas Maranatha in Bandung; Auditorium Universitas Frans Asisi in Semarang; the British School Binarol’s Raffles Auditorium and the Jakarta Intercultural School’s theatre in South Jakarta, and the Anglican Chinese School’s auditorium in East Jakarta.
“With every auditorium project, we handle all aspects of the installation from designing the acoustic interior, to the audio, video, stage lighting, general lighting and electrical installation,” Widjaya explains. “We always carry out acoustic and sound system measurement to assess if the results meet our original design criteria, and we also fine tune the audio system using acoustic measurement equipment and software. For this we need very reliable and precise tools, including an AD/DA converter.”
The Atlas multitrack interface is suited to this type of work because it offers eight low-noise microphone preamps, with Overkiller limiter switches on each channel, as well as A/D conversion. For testing purposes, the Atlas is connected to a digital sound source where it converts the audio to analog so that it can be played out through the loudspeaker system in the room. This allows Widjaya to check the room’s acoustic response and calibrate the equipment accordingly.
“I first came across Prism Sound equipment in the late 1990s when I was designing a lot of recording and mastering studios,” he says. “I decided to invest in an Atlas interface because the audio quality is so good that I never doubt my measurement results. Also, the fact that it offers eight channels means that I can carry out more measurements, which speeds up my workflow. Sometimes we also use Atlas for blind test shoot outs — because it has eight outputs, we are able to send out four stereo signals with identical qualities to four different audio systems and check the results we are achieving with each one.”
Handy’s Atlas was supplied by the Indonesian distributor ChandraCom, founded by Setiadi Chandra, who has been working with Prism Sound for four years. “Setiadi and his team were very helpful in terms of offering advice on the right Prism Sound product for our needs,” Widjaya adds. “This was especially the case during set up, and we are grateful for his help.”
