The sound of d&b wraps live music at Guinness Storehouse

xS series and ArrayCalc software d&b audiotechnik They are the core of the audio system installed in this famous themed space in the capital of Ireland, now offering a unique, high-quality live music experience.

Guinness Storehouse It is one of the most emblematic and busiest places in Dublin and also in Ireland, that offers an attractive tour around its beer, its history and numerous activities. In the midst of celebrating its 25th anniversary, it has reached the extraordinary number of more than 25 millions of visitors in all that time.

since last year, Guinness Storehouse managers were looking for innovative ways to further enhance the visitor experience. Its objective was introduce a new and dynamic element in cultural activities that they already offer, while maintaining the high quality of the experience, avoiding visitor bottlenecks.

The entertainment consulting company Diageo provided the response to the event creation specialist John Brady Events (JBE): create a new stop on the tour that offered live shows, a vibrant one combination of Irish music and dance traditional mixed with new local and world talents.

The place chosen to create it has been the second floor of the so-called space Arrol Suite, which was previously reserved for functions and private events. With the planned reconfiguration, that room could accommodate up to four hundred visitors and entertain them for fifteen minutes with the best live music, before moving on to the next featured experience at Guinness Storehouse.

To make that vision a reality, JBE turned to the live sound specialist Acoustik, and partner of d&b audiotechnik, to design and install this manufacturer's speaker systems at the Guinness Storehouse.

The Acoustik team meticulously planned three xS series systems of d&b, that were set up thinking about a new concept of live music, created by John Brady Events, and that was also applied to the new installations in two other areas of the space for attendees, using this manufacturer's ArrayCalc software.

How do you explain Brady, “in our specifications for Acoustik we included our wish that visitors, regardless of where they are in the room, would receive a consistent sound quality “that would encourage people to participate more in the areas with actions”.

This alone was already a challenge., since the characteristics of the building's industrial past created a difficult acoustic environment, with wooden floor, tiled walls, a lot of glass, steel and concrete. “It really is the most acoustically hostile space you can imagine”, says Brady.

Besides, there were other requirements. JBE's vision was use smaller central platforms for performances, instead of the traditional setting, on one side or at one end, to generate a more immersive engagement with the public. Added to this was that all the accessories had to go unnoticed in the environment and, at the same time, provide the desired effect on performance.

Acoustik also supplied other d sound systems&b for two other areas located on the fifth floor of the building: Arthur’s Bar, the main bar space, y Market Street, which has been given a new use as a gastronomic area and is also used for private and corporate events.

Will Fitzpatrick, by Acoustik, who designed the system together with Adam Faulkner, points out that “the Controlled speaker directionality&b is the essential key. Thanks to the exact predictivity features of ArrayCalc software we were able to try variations of different speakers in different positions, hasta que encontramos la mejor solución”.

Through sistemas de altavoces multifuente, “creamos espacios en los que las actividades de ocio suceden como se desee, sin que afecten a las áreas circundantes -añade-. ArrayCalc es fantástico. Simuló con precisión lo que conseguimos de manera efectiva con la instalación”.

Para el espacio más grande, called Arrol Suite, Acoustik eligió una configuración de la serie xS de d&b, formada por seis modelos 12S como sistema principal de PA, with four 10S como delays. Los graves los proporcionan cuatro cajas 18S colgadas del techo en los tres espacios, “un auténtico punto de inflexión”, subraya Brady.

In this sense, Fitzpatrick explica que “siempre hemos utilizado stacks de sub tanto junto al escenario como en algún otro punto de la sala, pero nunca estábamos satisfechos porque el sonido no era del todo uniforme. Ahora que los hemos colgado, la cobertura es realmente buena en todas partes. El sistema mantiene el control total sobre el audio en todo el espacio”.

Los otros dos espacios remodelados, Arthur’s Bar y Market Street, se han equipado con tres cajas 12S-D (el modelo de dispersión más ancho) y tres sub 12S, in the first case, y con dos 10S-D y un par de subgraves 12S en el segundo.

La amplificación se obtiene completamente de equipos para instalación d&b 10D, four channel. El funcionamiento cotidiano del sistema es accesible para el personal no técnico gracias a un iPad que incorpora el software R1 del fabricante de audio.

Este software ofrece una selección de presets orientativos para la Arrol Suite, además de una reducción del nivel de presión en las zonas de bar, lo que permite que el personal atienda a los clientes en un ambiente menos ruidoso.

“Tenemos una inmensa confianza en d&b y no podíamos pensar en nadie más -recuerda Fitzpatrick-. Cuando surgió este proyecto, sólo había una marca para incorporar el diseño y el pliego de condiciones desde el concepto hasta la finalización”.

“Ha sido un éxito inmenso. Tenemos un sonido uniforme realmente fantástico, y eso es algo que han reconocido también en Guinness Storehouse”, concluye Brady.