FEATURE: CLUBS, BARS, RESTAURANTS.
acceptable for designers and owners who want to hear great sound but don’t want to see it”.
3. MORE POWERFUL DSP As commercial audio projects have evolved from straightforward speaker- and-amp installations, so has the scope for them to include digital signal processing technology that allows systems to be precisely configured to complement the dimensions and materials of a given space. “With the integration of EQ, delay,
speaker presets, noise gate and crossover in a single device, a system can be perfectly tuned to match the requirements of a particular room or interior,” says Daniela Bohl, marketing manager of Fohhn Audio. “Thanks to DSP technology, you have the opportunity to tune systems perfectly and use the delay function, for example, to adjust the sound in sub zones faster and more efficiently.” Scott Wakelin – TC Group’s direct
markets manager for install and tour – agrees that the development of install-oriented DSP has made a real difference and “in general lifted the quality and reliability of the kit in this sector. The inclusion of a number of EQ and gain control criteria means that there is no excuse for not achieving at least a reasonable end-result so long as the correct equipment for the project has been specified.”
4. COMBINED OR MULTIPURPOSE SOLUTIONS Although there is a general feeling that activity levels have rallied somewhat since the dark days of 2008-10, one lasting impact has been the understandable tendency of venues to explore greater diversification in an attempt to bolster footfall; for example, operating as a restaurant by day, before mutating into a floor-filling bar or compact club by night. “There has been a relative
downturn in this market sector in recent times,” says Wakelin, “but in some cases this has spawned an evolution of the standard venue types into altogether more viable business models. The growth of the club, bar and restaurant venue, for instance, is a market area that we are very successful in already and [where we] hope to see a good deal more growth in the coming period.” Drawing on examples from the
Tannoy range, Wakelin underlines the ease with which combined-type venue owners can these days mix and match solutions from a single company’s portfolio. “The hugely flexible VX loudspeakers have a perfect partner in the new VSX subwoofers, which can even form an ideal solution for small performance spaces, while other products like DI, DVS, CMS and CVS from Tannoy can provide something for every space – whether it is a bar area, the kitchens, or even patios or outside dining areas.”
www.installation-international.com
‘Club owners are upgrading
systems all the time’ Jon Sager,
JBL Professional
Although the bar and restaurant sectors have undoubtedly faced their fair share of challenges in recent years, there has been even greater concern that the club market – so robust, so vibrant in the late ’90s and early Noughties – could be experiencing an intractable decline. It’s a fear that hasn’t exactly been dampened by the preponderance of ‘clubbing in crisis’-style articles in both the specialist and mainstream media. But perhaps it’s a misperception;
Martin Audio and JBL are among many companies to identify current good business in new and revamped club installs, with JBL’s Sager remarking that “club owners are upgrading systems all the time”. The recent, enthusiastic embracing of club culture by audiences in the US – where EDM (electronic dance music) is all the rage at present – has certainly helped. “With all the attention EDM has received over the past five or six years, new clubs seem to be opening on a fairly regular basis,” says Sager. But while the overall health of the sector is felt to be fairly good, it’s not to say that it isn’t possible to identify a couple of specific areas where improvements could still be made…
1. WILLINGESS TO INVEST Despite recent advancements, a knowledge gap endures in some parts of the club market. “Some [club owners] wonder why other clubs are more successful than their own, but do not realise that the sound quality of their loudspeaker system is just no good. Club owners need to learn that it is often more efficient if they invest more money at the beginning, saving themselves a lot of trouble and money in the long run,” says Bohl, who highlights the importance of specifying high-quality cables, speakers and rack cabinets from the get-go. On a related note, financial considerations are still leading too many venues – particularly at the lower end – down the route of self- design and installation. “A lot of local bars and restaurants do not have the
October 2013 37
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