"JBL products are always developing, and this was the perfect opportunity to put the latest technology into practice," states Over Audio's Mike Boylan, who has been dealing with both Arbiter and Luminar Plc for many years, and has used JBL products in six other Liquid venues. All the Liquids have specific design criteria, and the venue in Stoke was particularly challenging because of its many hard reflective surfaces. The floors, walls and ceilings are painted off-white, to provide a clean surface and canvas for constantly changing video projections.
A major element of the sound brief was to keep the speakers hidden - no easy task for a line array system - and each of the six CVT 4889 VerTec install version speakers is housed inside a bulkhead, providing yet more projection surfaces. To conform to the club's minimalist, modern design, even the fixings had to be painted out.
The new JBL ASB 6128 dual 18-inch subs were also used in Liquid's main room. The product was still under development when the job started, but it soon became available for Over Audio's use. The main room audio is driven via three DBX 481S Drive Rack digital system controllers. Other JBL speakers at Liquid, Stoke include four MS112 Marquis full-range cabinets and one MS125S sub in the second room - Liquid Two.
Boylan is well impressed with how quickly and easily the VerTec installs, and Liquid, Stoke proves overwhelmingly that VerTec works extremely well in a club environment. Over Audio has received some great comments on the sound, some slightly leftfield considering its original design criteria as a concert system: "It's almost as if it was custom-made for this project," comments Boylan.
(Lee Baldock)
