In the world of luxury hotels, sound systems might not always come on top of the agenda when it comes to capturing opulence. However, the JW Marriot is one such residence which has managed to gather the required demeanour to gain its five-star status, and now, thanks to Tannoy and Lab.gruppen's sound technology, it has the kind of technology fit for such surroundings - inside and outside the building.
The project to bring this signature sound began when Pancheel Reality, a real estate development company based in Pune, were tasked with helping the JW Marriott 'redefine hospitality' in the city. Pancheel immediately looked to AV, specialists in systems integration, who knew exactly what solution was required for a job of this scale.
Led by Sachin Jain, designer and consultant for audio visuals, the project would eventually see the JW installing Tannoy loudspeakers and Lab.gruppen amplifiers throughout its premises in Pune.
Sachin explained further, "The JW Marriot is one of the busiest hotels in Pune and the project meant coming up with a solution that would make a statement and redefine hospitality in the city. Very few hotels in India could compare to this hotel, in terms of the finishes, in terms of the interior, and now, in terms of the sound technology. Not a lot of people give us the opportunity of using the right product, the right quantity - people want to save costs on various factors, but not this hotel. They have not tried to save costs but used the optimum product and the optimum technology, even if it turns out to be a little more expensive."
Speaking of the possibilities of installing the products, Sachin continued. He said, "Audio in this hotel is digital which is not very common in India - with these products, you can now route music from any floor to any floor, any source to any other place. You also have dynamic volumes controls in place in various zones which are then digitally attached to your central rack which is in a centralized location."
He continues, "We were really impressed with Tannoy as a brand; the CMS series, the 501DC, the ICT series, the sound from these products were fantastic and that really impressed us. Although it was a premium brand and it meant spending more money, compromise was not an option. The owners were also very particular about the quality of sound of music and sound they were going to have - that's what put Tannoy in the driving seat, and that was the deciding factor."
In total, over 400 Tannoy loudspeakers were used throughout the project, mainly CMS Series complemented by Di and VX Series for extra reinforcement in the areas that required it.
Regarding the choice of Lab.gruppen C Series amplifiers, Sachin explains, "Because of the amplifiers' small 2RU design, we could save a lot of space in the control room and this really helped us during the install phase. The products flexibility offers control of various gains and variable power on different channels. Lab.gruppen have been extremely flexible and helpful, and on hand 24/7 over the last three years to help us with any questions or problems, and that kind of back up support is invaluable on a project of this scale."
(Jim Evans)
