For the sound system Reilly turned to Pete Dyer of Tarsin, well known for designing, supplying and installing sound systems to some of the highest profile clubs worldwide. Reilly himself specified the JBL system. In turn, Dyer approached Arbiter, and collaborated with Dave Budge (Arbiter’s project co-ordinator for Pacha) on the sound design for the club.
Pacha has two rooms and three bars, with no walls between the two main spaces, so particular attention had to be paid to ensuring that sound spillage between areas was minimized. This was achieved with careful speaker positioning and by maximizing the directivity of the various JBL units used. For the main room, eight full range JBL VS3215-6 loudspeakers from the Venue Series are combined with Sound Power SP128 subs. Preserving the architectural integrity of the club’s interior was essential, so Arbiter specified customized brackets that allow the VS3215s to be rigged off the oval-shaped balcony surrounding the main room.
For infill and the bars, Dyer and Budge chose JBL MS112 speakers, used with a combination of subs. To achieve exactly the right sound for the second room - The Funky Room - MS112s are utilized as main system speakers, combined with SP128 and VS125HS subs. The Funky Room is being used to stage new talent from the UK and abroad during Friday night’s Themes From Great Cities.
DJ monitors in both rooms are also JBL - SP212-6s from the Sound Power series. For the entrance lobbies, Control 29AV speakers are utilized, and to ensure nowhere in the building is left untouched, the toilets also feature JBL Control 26s. Dyer and the JBL/Arbiter acoustic team of Mark Bailey (JBL Professional) and Daniel Eades (Arbiter Pro Audio’s acoustician) aligned and acoustically optimized the system using JBL’s Smaart Pro software.
(Ruth Rossington)
