So when it comes to kitting out intimate live entertainment venues, many owners and managers are surprised to realise that L-Acoustics solutions can also perfectly fit both acoustical and budgetary needs of their spaces. Olivier Inizan, L-Acoustics account manager, responsible for fixed installations projects throughout France, regularly works with small venues to create sound systems perfectly tailored for high SPL in compact to medium-sized venues.
A number of venues have already been convinced by the L-Acoustics ARCS WIFO line source combination, and the feedback from users is very positive, confirms Inizan. "The modularity of the system allows us to perfectly match the needs of modest-sized music venues. ARCS Wide and ARCS Focus can be deployed in a horizontal or vertical configuration, rigged or stacked. They complement each other even on a single line array, offering an "à la carte" set up, and both our installers and end users are taken aback by the scalability as well as the price to performance ratio."
Jean-Philippe Rousseau, general manager of the 150 capacity Sonic Club in Le Havre, enthuses, "When we looked for a sound system, sound quality was of the upmost importance since we probably won't have the budget to change it again in a few years. And we knew it was a challenge because the venue is an old ammunition bunker, measuring six meters wide by 19m long, with a 6m high hemispherical vault. Add to this a tier with 3.5m high ears when standing in the last row, and you have the perfect acoustic challenge."
The Sonic Club now hosts a perfectly adapted L-Acoustics sound system, with one ARCS Wide and one ARCS Focus per side mounted vertically, each coupled with a SB28 subwoofer, all amplified by an LA8 controller. "We tested four different sound systems and we were rapidly convinced that L-Acoustics was the right choice. We stayed on budget and the system is punchy yet physically discreet; the sonic qualities are the same whether you're standing in front of the band, in the middle of the pit or on top of the tier. The WIFO combination allows us to perfectly control the loudspeaker directivity. It's just perfect for a venue like ours."
Built in an old farm and boasting an outside area, the 320 capacity Run ar Puns in Chateaulin, is a perfect example of sonic performance and cost optimisation. Ludovic Petit, sound engineer for the live music venue, knew exactly what he wanted to achieve for his venue. "With its asymmetric architecture, the Run ar Puns is far from being a classic venue. The musicians are very close to the public, so I was looking for a sound system that could offer dynamic sound, a precise and even mix with the possibility to reduce sound levels around the bar."
Ludovic opted for two clusters of two ARCS Wide as the main system, a choice which permits a sonic signature identical to a big vertical line source, but in a compact system that perfectly matches the intimate asymmetric space at Run ar Puns. L-Acoustics coaxial enclosures are placed throughout the outdoor area, and the whole system is driven by two LA4X amplifiers and managed by LA Manager.
Le Havre's Sonic Club is not alone. La Souris Verte in Epinal, l'Ampli in Pau, La Nef in Angouleme, Le Cargo in Caen and l'Epicerie Moderne in Feyzin have all installed an ARCS 11 or ARCS WiFo system while La Nouvelle Vague in St Malo installed Kudo and Le Metronum in Toulouse and the recently inaugurated La Belle Electrique in Grenoble both benefit from a Kara sound system.
(Jim Evans)
