ESSENTIAL CLUBS, BARS AND RESTAURANTS
TOUCH-FREE FUNCTIONALITY What are the functional and health benefits of AV systems that need very little physical interaction to do their job? Ashley Bond, director, MADE Worldwide; an AV and IT Solutions provider with a decade of experience, has some views. Ashley explains, “MADE Worldwide designs fully automated systems, this helps make audio-visual solutions touch free, giving bar staff more time to focus on their jobs and let audio visual run itself. Which in turn assists with the current pandemic situation where touch and contamination is a focus point at the moment. “On a Dante audio solution, we tend to spec Powersoft’s WM Touch, which is glass fronted making it easily wipeable, this helps address the COVID situation by making all touched items germ free. We have used the WM touch in ‘Matches Sports Bar’ in Ashford, Kent which has been a massive hit. We have also deployed the solution into ‘Skylight Bar’ in Peckham which is part of the Tobacco Dock group.” Ashley adds, “Making the whole AV & IT solution automated helps simplify the clients workload. Bars, Clubs and Restaurants all tend to start the day the same way, with lighting scenes, soft background audio and digital signage or broadcasting sports events. MADE Worldwide automates this solution using live calendar and time information to trigger scenarios so every day when the venue opens the volume is set, the scene will start, and all items will turn on and start playing. MADE Worldwide and the team strive to bring new technology and adapt the way the commercial, hospitality and retail sector use their AV. If the technology does not make your life easier it’s been designed wrong!”
Two Mezzo 604 ADs (Powersoft’s fourchannel, 600W compact amplifier) are powering the entirety of the 250-capacity Matches Sports Bar, Grill & Social, forming the core of a unique hospitality venue incorporating multiple distinct audio zones and spaces. Tucked away behind the counter, the single 4.3in wallmounted Powersoft WM Touch screen Ashley referred to gives complete control of the entire DMD system, including Mezzo’s embedded dynamic routing capabilities. Ashley underlines, “By using Powersoft’s Dynamic Music Distribution solution, we were able to keep our design simple all the way through, from designing the project to handing it over to the client. The client is then left with a powerful start-to-finish solution from a single manufacturer, providing them with a safe and secure audio system that’s really going to push through.” Jon Shephard, Matches’ owner, says the concept for the venue is to combine, “..all the best bits of the bars I’ve been to throughout my life, all into one place,” to create the “ultimate sports bar experience”. With a single four-channel Mezzo amplifier now able to drive up to four independent
zones of audio, thanks to Powersoft’s new ArmoníaPlus 2.2 software release, the DMD ecosystem was considered the best choice to bring to life the vision for the space offering a tailored sound experience in each individual area. Jon explains, “For example, we have three semi-private self-pour beer areas. In those areas, whilst customers want to be able to hear the experience, the volume still allows them to have a conversation with others across the table. We also have other semi-private areas, such as the snug area and in the private room, where customers are all-encapsulated in high-quality, 3D surround sound. “In the main bar area, we wanted a system where customers could really feel like they’re in the stadium watching the match live. However, once that match is finished and we turn the [TV] sound off, we want to get the music pumping – to turn it up loud and have no loss in quality with regards to the audio. And believe me, if you come here on a Friday and Saturday night, you’ll definitely experience that.”
MATCHES SPORTS BAR
Also featured in this install is Powersoft’s Dynamic Music Distribution (DMD) solution offering a user-friendly and cost-effective audio system delivering the soundtrack to this Kent based sports and entertainment destination. DMD offers the ability to scale inputs and zones conveniently and efficiently with dynamic routing capabilities embedded on its amplifier platforms. This makes it simple to dynamically route music and other signal sources along with control signals between different zones and across multiple amplifiers – all independently of source location and without the need for a centralised DSP.
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FEBRUARY 2022 31
