UAE:
Pulse Middle East has installed more than 200 Martin Audio speakers throughout the new Bla Bla new beach club in the Jumeirah Beach Resort (JBR) leisure complex. The system was specified by design consultant, Bengan Hovgard, from Loud and Clear Audio Visual, and supplied by local distributor, Pro Lab, with Martin Audio creating presets and custom EQ from its UK premises.
Spanning more than 9,0000m2 of beachfront, Bla Bla features 20 bars, three restaurants, nightclubs on two levels and sound stages, as well as the beach club itself. “I chose Martin Audio because the brand is well supported in the region,” explained Hovgard. “The CDD range was suitable for this project as it is available in both indoor and outdoor versions, which enabled us to achieve the same look and sound throughout the venue. The CDD range also provided the best coverage for some of the narrower terraces and balconies in the venue.”
The installation includes CDD6 CDD8, CDD10, CDD12 and CDD15 speakers, with the WR weatherised versions used in outdoor and exposed areas. SX118 and SX112 subwoofers provide LF reinforcement at the pool stage and surrounding areas. Adorn A55 speakers have been installed into ancillary areas including outdoor cabanas. The reception area is covered by C4.8T ceiling speakers, while an Irish bar features Blackline X8 and X115 subs. Monitoring for performers on the outdoor stages is provided by LE200 floor monitors and by the portable BlacklineX powered series, which can also be used as DJ monitors, indoors.
The Graffiti Bar, one of many themed bars which include the Butterfly Bar, a poolside Bali-themed bar, a Hollywood bar, a British pub and a Japanese bar, features white CDD6-WRs spray-painted to match the interior. “We had to be extremely careful to protect the grilles and ensure the water resistance wasn’t compromised,” explains Pulse operations director Greg Brown explained.
Each zone of the resort is networked via Dante. “Any source can be played anywhere in the venue including from any of the stages,” continued Brown. “There are 140 channels of amplification and all routing is handled by Symetrix Radius NX devices.”
Installation was carried out between between August and December, with the venue opening in January. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, no live music has yet been allowed, and social distanced rules apply.
“From our main poolside stage, all the bars, reception and even down to the toilets, Martin Audio has shown it’s capable of delivering the best coverage to every single corner of our venue with pristine quality,” stated Martin Chiervo of events management company, Empire Stages, which supervised the technical side of the operation.
