So what prompted the change? Howard Spooner explained: "The original system we put in three years ago was perfect for the requirements at the time, but since then our music policy has changed to include a more house and dance night as well as our traditional 70s and 80s nights. Also, the dispersion of people through the club has changed. As a result we needed more sub-bass to beef up the low-end, as well some infills for the upper levels. Basically I just felt that our customers deserved an upgrade."
Spooner approached Peter Dyer at Tarsin who enlisted the help of Fuzion's technical director, Gary Ashton, to specify a new Nexo system. Dyer pointed out that although it's only been three years since the original installation, technology has changed. "System control is now digital rather than analogue, and there were several other changes we felt we could make to improve the system, so on balance we felt that it would be more efficient to start again from scratch rather than try to upgrade the existing equipment."
The 1500-capacity club retains its original theatre format with a T-shaped stage at the front for the performers and cabaret which extends out into the main dancefloor. Two tiers of seating overlook the dancefloor with boxes extending down each side of the auditorium. The DJ is situated on his own balcony towards the rear of the stage so he can look out over the stage and the dancefloor. Dyer and Ashton specified two stacks on the stage pointing back towards the stage and the DJ comprising two Alpha B1-18 bass bins and an Alpha EM mid-hi each which cover the stage and the sections of the dancefloor either side of the T. A further two stacks cater for the main dancefloor comprising three Alpha EM mid/-highs, four B1-18C bass cabinets and an Alpha S2 sub each. PS-15s provide balcony infills, and the whole system is driven with a combination of four Crown MA 3600VZ and four MA 5002VZ amplifiers. Loudspeaker management comes courtesy of two NX241 TD digital controllers and a dedicated analogue TD controller for the PS-15s.
Spooner is delighted with the results. "The sound is incredible - it's gone from good to amazing. Even the DJs who play all over the place have commented on it. One guy even said to me that the detail and clarity of the new system are such that he's hearing things in his records that he has never heard before, which is breathtaking. The only problem is that everything else in comparison, from my house to my car, now sounds terrible - this could end up costing me way more than I thought!"
(Lee Baldock)
