Blue Box's Mark Metcalf explained that because owner Ben Watt is now an extremely successful DJ in his own right, he was most particular about the monitoring system. "Our biggest hurdle was how to get the right amount of power and quality in the available space," he said. "Cherry Jam is designed to be a small, intimate space, and the DJ booth is no exception, but Ben was in agreement that we should not sacrifice the quality. We tested several options from a variety of sources and manufacturers, but no-one could deliver the power and quality of audio in such a tiny, compact package as the Nexo PS-8. The other deciding factor was the sub-bass element. The fact that Nexo offers a dedicated PS-8 sub in the same compact format gave Ben everything he wanted. In total we were able to install a PS-8, an LS-400 sub plus a PS-8 amplifier with built-in controller all within the confines of the DJ booth and still leave room for the DJ! It's a great solution."
Based on the success of the Cherry Jam installation, Mark has gone on to install another very similar system in a new Japanese restaurant called Sumosan in Albemarle Street, just off Piccadilly. In addition to the restaurant upstairs, Sumosan has a bar with a small dancefloor downstairs that required an audio system. "Again, size was very much the consideration here," said Metcalf. "The ceilings are low, and the only place to put the speakers was to the right and left of the bar with the sub behind a grille under the DJ booth, so we needed something as discreet as possible yet still with enough power to be loud enough to dance to. The Nexo PS-8 system fitted the bill perfectly."
(Lee Baldock)
