Genelec loudspeakers power Ubisoft’s breathtaking new Stockholm office

Headquartered in the chic Parisian suburb of Saint-Mandé, the French video game publisher, Ubisoft, is one of the largest in the world. Founded by the Guillemot family in 1986, today Ubisoft numbers over 50 subsidiaries around the world, including two locations in Sweden – Massive Entertainment based in Malmö and Ubisoft Stockholm. When Ubisoft Stockholm recently made the move to a breathtaking new office location in Hagastaden, a range of high performance Genelec loudspeaker systems were specified for the company’s game development and leisure spaces.

Having helped find the new premises, IT and Project Manager at Ubisoft Sweden, Niklas Domander, engaged systems integrator and consultant This Is Who I Am (Tiwia) and systems integrator Logic IT to assist with acoustics and the technical installation.

The new office space features a range of specialised rooms and facilities including a multipurpose Dolby Atmos room that can be used for demos, presentations, screenings and other events. There is also an Atmos recording studio, a second 5.1 studio, a video editing suite, plus a splendid central atrium that serves as a reception and social area capable of holding company-wide gatherings and events. Genelec loudspeaker systems have been installed throughout.

According to Pär Hörnell, CEO at Tiwia, Genelec was the obvious choice for this project. “I’ve worked with Genelec for many years. We had excellent support from them, including a visit to the new Experience Centre in Stockholm where we were able to plan and create a final proposal for Ubisoft.”

We truly enjoy the variety and versatility of our studio setups — we’re a very happy sound team!

Logic IT was responsible for the installation in the main atrium reception area plus the kitchen. Based on Genelec’s 4000 Series installation loudspeakers, the audio system comprises two compact 4020s, and six slightly larger and more powerful 4030s that are distributed throughout the space for an elegant, high quality BGM solution capable of higher SPLs when required. “4000 Series loudspeakers are just a no-brainer for this type of space,” says Logic IT’s André Wilstrand. “Easy to install and calibrate to the space (despite lots of glass), they look good and deliver excellent, reliable results for years, if not decades to come.” Logic IT also set up the Dante solution enabling music playback throughout this zone via a Yamaha MTX5-D matrix processor, and connected Ubisoft’s Teams solution with microphones to the same loudspeaker system for the large meeting setup.

The two recording studios were less straightforward. “The size of the studios was especially challenging,” admits Tiwia’s Pär Hörnell. “Achieving suitable acoustics in such a small space is tricky. The rooms had already been extensively treated during the construction phase, but we ended up having to move the computers out completely and run USB-C cables via fibre to make the spaces even quieter. In these instances, Genelec’s GLM calibration software enabled us to address some low frequency challenges and create a first-class working environment.”

The main 7.1.4 Atmos studio is equipped with Genelec smart active loudspeakers. Three 8331 three-way coaxial models are set into the front wall as LCRs, supplemented with four 8330 two-way models for surrounds, and a further four for overheads. Completing the setup is a powerful 7360 smart active subwoofer.

The second studio – every bit as bijou as the first – has been equipped as a 5.1 recording/listening space. Five 8330s are installed as surrounds, with a compact 7350 subwoofer handling the low frequencies.

However, the jewel in the crown is the 9.2.4 Atmos multipurpose room complete with a huge screen. “This is a really cool and truly multifunctional space that serves as a beautiful demo room for visiting journalists and press events, but also internally for reviews, presentations, training sessions and more,” explains Niklas Domander. “It also forms an important part of the workflow for our audio team, who love using it.”

The consistency between Genelec models helps maintain cohesion.

Tiwia installed three powerful 8350 models behind the screen as LCRs, and ten 8340 models throughout the room as surrounds and overheads. A pair of 7370 subwoofers complete the setup. All models integrate closely with Genelec’s GLM software which Tiwia used to create a fully optimised immersive listening environment. Additionally, the room is connected to the sound studios via a Focusrite RedNetDante system. An HDMI extender in one of the two floor boxes enables people to hook up their laptops in the middle of the room and carry on working, for maximum flexibility.

“Working with audio in this studio is such a pleasure,” says Istvan Stenberg, Head of Audio at Ubisoft Stockholm. “Huge thanks to Niklas and Pär for creating such a smart, versatile and efficient audio ecosystem across the studio. It’s really improved and streamlined our workflow, from the analysis of reference material in the audio room, through to recording and feedback – now much easier and quicker thanks to the connection of both studios via our RedNet Dante system. With Genelecs in both the Control room and in the Recording room we can play back the recorded material to the artists and get instant feedback that is precise and sonically correct – which is a huge time saver.

“An initial mix in the 7.1.4 room allows us to see how the mix translates across a variety of channel formats, hardware and environments,” continues Stenberg – “And then we move into the multipurpose room and convert it into a mixing stage – we get a big screen, lots of air for frequencies to travel, great acoustics and the Genelec 9.2.4 system. Since all our studios and speakers are set up using GLM, our mixes translate seamlessly across different environments. Additionally, the consistency between Genelec models helps maintain cohesion throughout the entire audio production process. We truly enjoy the variety and versatility of our studio setups – we’re a very happy sound team!”

Domander agrees. “Overall, it’s been a great experience,” he concludes. “The tight collaboration from the outset with both Tiwia and the construction company enabled us to create a highly functional and well-designed office space that makes coming to the office a top-class experience for both staff and visitors.”