The club's operators engaged the services of the Beirut-based sound specialists Hi Fi Service. The team led by managing director Oussama Mansour Abou Faraj has the experience of a large number of high-calibre installations upon which to draw, but the Whisky Mist represented a particularly high hurdle, primarily due to the elaborate interior architecture of the club with its numerous pillars.
Abou Faraj opted for a Dynacord-based systrem. "We've long been fans of Dynacord products," he says. "They are reliable, robust and highly efficient." For this project, a lavish array of speakers from the VariLine series was selected, including 17 VL262s, six VL122s and two VL62s.
"VL-series loudspeakers are compact and deliver better sound and higher sound pressure levels than comparable products from other manufacturers," says Abou Faraj.
On the dance floor, four Sub28 subwoofers are employed to reinforce the bass, the same task being performed in the VIP and bar areas by two Sub15 and four Electro-Voice TX1181 cabinets respectively.
The system is driven by four DSA multi-channel amps, in addition to the eight EV P3000 already in place at the club.
"Encouraged by the overwhelming success of the Whisky Mist in London, we began looking around for a second location," explains Marc Burton, one of the Whisky Mist's owners. "We picked Lebanon because the people are cultured and educated. Beirut is flourishing."
(Jim Evans)
