WHAT IS ACTIVE ACOUSTICS?
Transform Your Venue with Active Acoustics
Active acoustics revolutionizes the way we experience and adapt sound in a space, enabling venues to adapt their acoustic environments dynamically. Unlike fixed architectural acoustics, active acoustics uses advanced audio technology to modify the characteristics of a space, such as reverberation, sound diffusion, and envelopment, to suit a wide range of performances and events.
Whether it’s enhancing the depth of a symphony orchestra or creating the intimacy required for a spoken-word performance, active acoustics provides unparalleled flexibility, turning single-purpose spaces into versatile, multi-functional venues.

How Does Active Acoustics Work?
Active acoustic systems use a combination of microphones, digital processors, and loudspeakers to adapt and enhance a venue’s sound field. The process involves capturing, processing, and redistributing sound to transform the acoustic environment in real time.
There are three main approaches to implementing active acoustics:
Inline Systems:
The microphones capture sound, which is processed using advanced algorithms in a digital processor. The enhanced sound is then redistributed through loudspeakers, without creating a feedback loop. This method ensures precise and predictable results, giving full control over the acoustics in many ways. With inline systems, you can finely adjust the timing and balance of early and late reflections in the sound field. This control allows for the precise shaping of the acoustic environment, optimizing reverberation time, clarity, and the distribution of sound to suit various events and venue conditions.
Regenerative (Non-Inline) Systems:
In this setup, microphones and loudspeakers work together in a controlled feedback loop. The system amplifies natural reflections, enhancing the acoustics organically without relying solely on digital processing. However, there are limits to the effectiveness of regenerative systems. They can enhance the natural reverberation time (RT) typically by a maximum factor of 2 to 2.2. Beyond this, the system risks introducing colorations and instability in the sound, which can degrade the quality of the acoustic experience.
Hybrid Systems:
Hybrid systems combine both inline and regenerative methods to offer the best of both worlds. By integrating the precision of digital processing with the natural sound characteristics of regenerative systems, hybrid systems achieve a balance between control and organic acoustic enhancement. The result is a highly flexible approach that adapts to a variety of spaces and events, allowing for the optimization of both clarity and reverberation while preserving the natural dynamics of the room.
Each system type leverages the collaboration between microphones, which capture sound; processors, which enhance it; and loudspeakers, which distribute it evenly throughout the space. This synergy allows the acoustic properties of a room—such as reverberation, clarity, and envelopment—to be adjusted dynamically, ensuring an optimal listening experience for every event.
SIAP is a hybrid system, uniquely combining the strengths of inline and regenerative approaches to deliver superior acoustic performance across a wide range of environments.
Active Acoustics vs. Convolution Systems
There are systems that use real-time convolution of audio signals with impulse responses from various performance spaces to simulate the acoustics of a concert hall or other venue. This process applies reverb to the music on stage, creating the illusion that the sound is coming from a larger, acoustically rich environment. However, the actual acoustics of the room, including audience noise like applause, remain unchanged. In contrast, active acoustics systems like SIAP dynamically adjust the entire acoustic environment in real time, modifying both the sound of the music and how the room itself (including audience perception) responds to the sound. This allows for a more complete and immersive acoustic experience, where both the music and the space adapt to the needs of each event.
SIAP's Unique Approach to Active Acoustics
At SIAP, we specialize in active acoustic systems that deliver unparalleled performance and natural sound. Our patented technology goes beyond artificial reverberation to create a truly authentic acoustic experience. With over 80 installations worldwide, SIAP Acoustic Systems have redefined the possibilities of active acoustics for theaters, auditoriums, concert halls, rehearsal room, hospitality, places of worship, outdoor events and more. Ready to explore the possibilities of active acoustics for your venue? Read more on benefits of active acoustics.
Contact us today to learn how SIAP can transform your space.
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