Named after the seven deadly sins, the first phase - designed by Nick Siangoplis - also features al-fresco, dining with freshly cooked food served in a conservatory and a terrace bar with large umbrellas and patio heaters.
Lazerlight has given equal priority to the sound and vision, entrusting Bristol-based Bristol Architectural Sound Services (BASS) with fitting a Martin Audio sound system. BASS's Mike Brice has split the ground floor into eight separate sound zones, using the Allen & Heath iDR8 as his DSP/router (with output expander). The signal source accesses a vast array of Martin AQ series products (all provided by wholesalers Batmink Ltd), including 12 AQ8s and three AQ210 subs (serving the peripheral area), and four Crown-driven AQ12s (and a pair of AQ215s) concentrated on the dancefloor. All the mid/highs are ceiling-mounted on special Powerdrive brackets.
"We wanted a high-spec DJ system and via the Crown amps we can deliver 1500W onto the dancefloor, with still plenty of headroom in the system," says Brice, who has equipped the DJ booth with an AQ10 reference monitor. He also sensibly turned to multiples of Martin Audio's attractive, recessed C516 architectural ceiling speakers, which are distributed in the entrance, hallway and toilets.
Brice has opted exclusively for the CD tabletop format (bypassing vinyl entirely) - and turned to his favourite Denon players, the flagship DN-S5000s, supplied by wholesalers Batmink Ltd. "We first specified these when Hed Kandi requested them for the Brownstone (in Bristol), when we were installing the dance venue earlier this year."
Brice himself has been using Denon since his DJ days - and now can't wait to get his hands on the new DN-S3500, which supports all cueing methods, with its direct-drive as well as spinning platter. Mike believes that it's more natural for a DJ to be confronted with a revolving turntable and routinely directs a large percentage of his audio budget towards Denon's award-winning CD/MP3 players such as the DN-S5000. "It is important that we provide a player with the Alpha Track facility, enabling DJs to access different tracks from the same CD simultaneously and mix them."
Meanwhile, BASS's associate company, Arclight Engineering, have specified a computer-generated lightshow, with eight programmed states, which can be remote internet controlled - all thanks to an Ethernet cabling infrastructure. For his digital backbone, Arclight's Robin Potton has provided DMX lines for the lighting, a Cisco server (with 2 Terabyte of data storage), Sunlite Ethernet DMX512 and non-Ethernet control boxes - and digital spyware! Says Potton: "This enables us to zoom into the installation via the strategically-placed surveillance cameras in the venue."
Lighting effects include a selection of LED and neon colour-change effects, moving yokes and Luxeon uplighting outside. There are also two plasma screens - with the feature 64in display set behind special glass panels to tone in with the granite surround.
Said Robin Potton: "It is great to be given the opportunity to show what we are capable of. As a result we can now monitor the entire installation, carry out health checks and reprogramme the system from the office, rather than go to site."
Open from early in the morning for breakfast the 850-capacity ground floor currently operates with a 4am licence. Once developed, the next two floors (including the former Stars) will function respectively as a dedicated nightclub and a members/VIP area.
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