Midway through an £800,000 refurbishment, which will also see the creation of a roof terrace, he has commissioned Bernard Mani at Systems Etc to replace the old sound system with a new Martin Audio WT3 rig, processed via Martin Audio's new Engineer 418 DSP.
"Originally the club was specced with Martin Audio H3s but I wanted to achieve a more theatrical and accurate sound. I knew all the components of the WT3 so was confident in what a fully active system would sound like - and that is predominantly a much smoother midrange and greater warmth," says Mani.
The compact three-way trapezoidal system's mid-range and HF are generated by compound mid-high horn configuration, designed to have matched constant Q, 65° horizontal dispersion patterns; this is bolstered by a powerful 15" LF driver. At Pacha the WT3s are configured in four arrayed pairs around the balcony of the main room, with low frequency extension provided by four ground stacked pairs of WS218X subs.
Billy Reilly declares: "We should have used Martin Audio in the first place." However, he credits his operations director Gemma Ross with taking the decision to endorse Martin Audio, and contract Systems Etc to install the rig.
"We consulted a number of DJ's and promoters, and we knew that with Martin Audio the back-up and support would be there," Ross said. "I had worked with Bernard on the TDK Cross Central Festivals and Secretsundaze parties at Canvas and I knew I could trust him."
Mani has extended the Martin Audio ethic right through the club. "It was important that the Global Room [Pacha's Room 2] was voiced exactly the same as the main room, and so we have installed a pair of WT3's and pair of WS218X touring subs." The 250 capacity room - bringing the overall venue capacity, with the completion of the roof terrace to 1100 - runs even louder than before, he says.
Martin Audio Blackline F10+s provide balcony and peripheral in-fills, as well as sound for the alcoves and VIP gazebo booths, while Martin Audio's AQ range will broadcast the sound - routed by the Engineer 418 DSP - up to the roof terrace.
(Jim Evans)
