The nightclub biz is booming. And after months of shuttered venues, people are ready to go out for a few drinks and social interaction — particularly when it’s accompanied with great music. In any club install, great sound is essential in creating the right ambience and feel, whether in an intimate lounge, disco, supper club or live band venue. We decided to look in on some recent club projects, each with different needs and challenges, yet all found success through an experienced integrator applying the right audio system to meet the needs of that particular application.
Crybaby, Oakland, CA
Crybaby is a 400-capacity multi-use music venue that takes its name from John Waters’ 1990 film of the same name. Located in the space previously occupied by Oakland’s iconic Uptown Nightclub, the venue now has a d&b audiotechnik xS-Series speaker system that handles electronic/DJ acts and live bands, bringing the performance area as well as cozy mezzanine and patio spaces to life.
“The club hosts a wide variety of musical genres, and we needed a rider-friendly P.A. solution that could accommodate them all,” states Don Lynch, owner of integrator Commercial Audio Video Solutions in San Francisco. “The d&b xS-Series ticked all the boxes.”
With dual-12” drivers and excellent pattern control, two 24S-D were chosen as stereo mains, energizing the audience without over-exciting the room. Under the stage, four Bi6-SUB subwoofers deliver more than enough low-end for even the most demanding electronic acts. A single 40D amplifier drives the mains and sub array.
The main room is narrow and long, so a 10S-D is used for delay and a 10S loudspeaker serves as the mezzanine delay (both driven by a 30D amplifier) to improve intelligibility in those areas. The bar zone and second mezzanine are covered by two 10S and three 8S d&b loudspeakers, with all fills powered by 30D and 10D amplifiers.
For the stage monitor system, four d&b M4 wedges and two B6-SUBs can be utilized in multiple configurations including stereo DJ monitors, four monitor mixes, and a drum sub. A 40D amplifier powers the M4 wedges, and a 30D amplifier powers the B6-SUBs. “Such a robust monitoring system is atypical for a small venue indicating the owners’ commitment to quality all around,” says Lynch.
Crybaby owner/operating partner Jesse Tittsworth acknowledges that build outs — construction, permits, inspections, various electrical/plumbing/HVAC/etc. — are tough. “It’s a lot to synchronize, and each also carries A/V considerations. For example, we lined our air conditioning ducts to acoustically minimize the delay and reverbs that would otherwise spill throughout the venue. Similarly, our subs are on isolation platforms to reduce low end from bleeding into where it shouldn’t which is especially helpful in the middle of Oakland.”
But the main consideration, Tittsworth adds, was audio performance. “Sonic quality of the d&b systems was first and foremost, specifically the need to physically compel our audiences both on the electronic/DJ side, but also host a wide variety of live shows and bands,” he says. “Not a lot of systems can properly cater to both sides, while also being so rider and tech friendly. Tight bass release, clear tops/mids, speakers that aren’t being overworked and a treated room are essential. It’s the little differences that make the hairs stand up on your arms. All of these tweaks and the technical aspects come together to provide an experience that is beyond words, making you feel truly alive.”
Inside Crybaby
- Capacity: 400
- Key Components: d&b audiotechnik xS-Series
- Integrator: Commercial Audio Video Solutions, Inc.
- Designer: Don Lynch
Rock Bar, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Featuring a stunning oceanfront view, Rock Bar recently underwent an extensive facility upgrade and, as part of the renovation, now has E11EVEN Sound loudspeakers and power amplification provided by DAS Audio integrators / consultants Unify Productions of Deerfield Beach, FL. Unify owner Charlie Cortes worked closely with Willy-Tech Services and DAS Audio to develop a sound reinforcement setup that would deliver a high-energy atmosphere.
“The E11EVEN Sound by DAS Audio system is used to create a night club dance environment with a live DJ,” says Cortes. “Formats range from EDM, house and mainstream music formats all the way through Top-40 dance. And now, the energy level is really something to be experienced — thanks to the efforts of DAS Audio’s John Fiorito, who designed, managed, and commissioned the new system while Geovanni Ortiz of DAS Audio used Rational Acoustic’s SMAART software for speaker optimization. Guillermo Rodriguez and Willy-Tech Services served as the certified installation team.”
The dance space in Rock Bar’s main room has 16 E11EVEN Sound by DAS Audio ES-158 3-way, passive point-source speakers, with eight ES-221 passive subwoofers for LF reinforcement. “First and foremost, the quality and clarity of the sound system at high SPL levels — free of any distortion — is truly impressive,” says Cortes. “The coverage pattern created by the eight pairs of ES-158 loudspeakers is amazing. Each of these pairs is accompanied by an ES-221 dual 21” sub — that seals the deal.”
For the venue’s main bar area, Fiorito spec’d four E11EVEN Sound by DAS Audio ES-10 2-Way point source loudspeakers. These are accompanied by two ESBR-218 passive subs. In the nearby equipment rack, power amplification and signal processing consists of two DAS Audio EP-2K4, two EP-6K4, four EP-10K4, four EP-14K2, and two EP-22K4 power amps, for a total power output of over 120,000 watts.
“The E11EVEN Sound speakers and amplifiers make this system one that any global circuit DJ would want to take for a ride,” says Cortes. “The E11EVEN Sound equipment is ideal for club environments and is a perfect fit for Rock Bar.”
Inside Rock Bar
- Key Components: DAS Audio E11EVEN Sound
- Integrator: Unify Productions
- Designer: John Fiorito/DAS Audio
Rockhal, Esch-Sur-Alzettte, Luxembourg
Rockhal is a multi-purpose, multi-venue facility. When Rockhal first chose to upgrade with an Adamson Systems IS-Series speaker system, the project was postponed due to the pandemic in 2020. Although live shows were put on hold, the venue used the system in a unique, 360° configuration around a central stage. The March 2021, five-concert series evaluated how future events could be held safely and sustainably in Rockhal, across the continent and beyond.
The IS-Series garnered praise from those in attendance. “It was powerful, precise, and pleasant-sounding,” says Rockhal’s head of audio Franck Chainais. “One got the impression of being one meter away from the speakers even when they were 15 meters away.”
Eventually, Rockhal’s Club Hall completed its renovation, adding a balcony (upping the capacity from 1,200 to 1,600) and allowed the venue to deploy the Adamson rig in left-right layout they’d envisioned originally. Installed by Lumicon, the system consists of 10 Adamson IS10 per side, three IS119 subs (flown beside each main array in a cardioid configuration), two ground-stacked IS219 per side (also in a cardioid configuration), and six IS7p loudspeakers mounted in pairs as out, in and lip fills. Power is via Lab.gruppen D Series amps.
The project also added Dante connectivity in the Club hall to integrate the room’s DiGiCo SD12 and Lake LM44 with the new system. In choosing a loudspeaker solution, key factors included “rider friendliness.” Chainais had encountered Adamson systems in his past capacity as a touring systems tech and FOH engineer. “And I’ve always been very satisfied with them, so we organized a demo to compare the IS-Series with other products.”
“We had two days in the room and tried different things,” says Lumicon’s Marko Schneider, “and the size, coverage, the precision of the high-end, high-mids and sub-bass were all important. After the demonstration, they made the decision very fast.”
Schneider adds, “When I heard the IS10 in the renovated space the first time, it was clear that this system provided better stereo separation — you can go farther left and right and still have that stereo image. The IS10 system sounds much more open.”
Inside Rockhal Club Hall
- Capacity: 1,600
- Key Components: Adamson IS-10
- Integrator: Lumicon
