Cinema City Enters the (A&H) Matrix

Tokyo, Japan (December 2, 2024)—Cinema City may have been Tokyo’s first multiplex theater, having opened in October, 1994, but it’s strived to stay at the cutting edge of moviegoing ever since, providing visitors with special offerings like Premium Sound Screenings and Premium Explosive Sound Screenings.

With that history in mind, Cinema City recently upgraded its sound management system with the adoption of an Allen & Heath AHM-64 matrix processor, installed by Be Free to be the core speaker management system for the 175-seat k studio in Cinema One.

“The unique shape and materials of k studio create an incredible sound, which has garnered it a dedicated fan base,” said Koji Amemiya, head of Cinema City’s projection department. As the theatre frequently hosts special events like stage greetings, it required a flexible audio system to manage complex sound configurations.

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The AHM-64 manages the 7+1 channel output from the cinema processor, utilizing the system’s 64×64 processing matrix and 12×12 local I/O to distribute audio to each speaker in the room.

“Because of the nature of cinema operations, all equipment replacement must be completed during overnight hours.” Koji Iwashita of Be Free explained, “From the day after the equipment is replaced, operations resume with the new equipment. Because the same movie was played, I was able to very clearly hear difference in the sound.”

Cinema City has also implemented an Allen & Heath IP8 remote controller, featuring eight motorized faders and 23 assignable SoftKeys, allowing staff to adjust settings such as microphone levels for live events via simple fader control.

Although the AHM series is typically found in commercial audio scenarios, its audio capabilities made it appropriate for cinema sound management. “The AHM-64 offered more inputs and outputs than other models, which was crucial for the maintenance and inspection needs of a cinema,” added Amemiya.