NTSS - Nontrivial Sound System at 111 / UdK Berlin

Bruno Gola, Alberto de Campo, S4NTP 2025/6

NTSS is a NonTrivial Sound System, developed by https://s4ntp.org, and it is built for diversity of loudspeaker sound colors.

It currently consists of 26 loudspeakers set up at UdK Berlin Medienhaus room 111.

Install Software:

// Install the NTSS quark
Quarks.install("https://github.com/aiberlin/NTSS");
// update your installed quarks
Quarks.installed.do(_.update);
// sometimes the update fails silently, 
// then it may be necessary to do a git pull in that quark folder (ask adc or bg)

// recompile -> ready!

1. Turn the NTSS Hardware ON:

Check that Black Distributor 2 AMPS right side is OFF, and if not, TURN IT OFF!

-> AMPS On the table ARE OFF NOW.

Turn on White Power distributor 1 (COMP):

-> Audio interfaces of the NTSS are ON now:

• Behringer X-32 Mixer
• Behringer S16 Expander
• RME ADI 8 Pro

2. Connect Laptop to USB plug w extender

choose a good location to sit, and open SuperCollider ...

// If you use StartupFile, switch to your NTSS startup, and recompile
-> N_T_S_S comes up
// If not, run xstartup_example_NTSS.scd, or simply do
NTSS.run
// and then run your setup files for other things. 

3. Turn ON Black Power Distributor 2 (AMPS)

YAMAHA + Denon receivers, and the 5 little amps on the YAMAHA are on.

4. Turn on power dist in the cupboard

Behringer guitar amp and BlueCab bass amp are on

Check that the active speakers are on:

• Genelec on Stand should be on,
• McCrypt speaker on the table (power switch on the back side)

5. In SuperCollider, the screen should look like this:

On the N_T_S_S window, turn up mainvol to maybe 0.25
-> in MainFX, you can see the parameter mainvol move.
Open one channel GUI, e.g. ch1ada, Turn up noiseAmp
-> you should see levels move in the top NdefGui slider

6. Test that all channels work:

switch panFunc to 'direct', and set direct_out to 0, 1, 2, 3, .. 25: -> every speaker should sound!

7. Try the other panfuncs, and observe what they do on SpatioScope

On the red Butz Window, click on SpatioScope to show it; go to GUI ch1ada, to the lower half; switch panfunc to dbap, and move the controls: dbap_x - sound moves left/right dbap_y - sound moves front / back (up down on Spatio) dbap_k - sound spreads to more or fewer speakers.

If SpatioScope does not show live signals, stop and start to wake it up!

8. When done, TURN OFF central power:

- DO NOT TURN OFF individual amps!

- DO NOT TURN OFF individual audio/computer interfaces!

• First, turn off central power for all amps: the black distributor labeled 2 AMPS
• Turn off power for guitar and bass amps: the distributor in the cupboard
• When all amps are off, turn off central power for computers: the white distributor labeled 1 COMP