A Comprehensive Look at the Audio Installation at 20 Stories

Audio Installation for Manchester Restaurant

After reviewing the brief, an audio system was centred around a Soundweb BLU100 Networked Audio Processor with an additional Soundweb BLU50 to provide additional Inputs and Outputs. This design is capable of reproducing anything from subtle background music and the spoken word through to DJ sets throughout the restaurant.

Situated on the 19th floor of No.1 Spinningfields, 20 Stories is composed of a glamorous restaurant, lively bar and expansive rooftop terrace with unparalleled 360-degree views of the Manchester skyline, created by the D&D London restaurant chain. The audio design brief was for a system capable of reproducing anything from subtle background music and the spoken word through to DJ sets to each of the zones of the restaurant. We have partnered with D&D London on projects across the UK, including the German Gymnasium, Issho and Quaglinos, each time in association with audio consultancy OctaviusRE.

The audio system is centred around a Soundweb BLU100 Networked Audio Processor with an additional Soundweb BLU50 to provide additional Inputs and Outputs. The venue has been broken down into a number of zones including the Restaurant, Grill, Cocktail Bar, Toilets, Terrace, Private Dining room, Corridor and Lobby. Via Soundweb BLU-8 V2 wall controllers, any audio source can be routed to any zone, so for example a DJ set could be playing in the Restaurant, background music could be playing on the outdoor terrace while a local input such as an I-Pod is playing in the private dining room. All zones have their own BLU-3 wall mount controllers for local volume control and source selection.

QSC Acoustic Design series loudspeakers have been integrated throughout the Grill, Cocktail Bar, Restaurant and Terrace. In the indoor areas, AD-S12 mid highs and AD- S112SW subs are flown in yokes from the ceiling, complemented further with AD- S112SW subs hidden within the restaurant furniture to minimise visual impact.

Acoustic Design AD-S4T loudspeakers are also installed above the Corridor feature ceiling providing customers with a taste of the venue atmosphere as they immediately exit the private lift and walk into the venue. Out on the terrace, the weather-proof features of QSC’s AD-S8 are utilised, with eight loud speakers mounted on brackets, which are bolted to the terrace flags.

20 Stories also has a private dining room, which has been designated as its own individual zone. Audio is delivered via a pair of Australian Monitor Q8FCS ceiling mounted speakers, with an LCD TV hidden in a wall cabinet, all with local I/O and system control. In the toilets and lobby areas, you will find flush mounted Australian Monitor speakers into the ceilings, powered by a single Australian Monitor amplifier.

20 Stories is to host regular sets by DJs, so included in the package is a portable DJ booth. The unit features a full high end system that includes a pair of Technics turntables, a pair of Pioneer CDJ900NXS digital players and a Pioneer DJM900-NXS digital mixer. The unit is housed in a Hoerboard DJ table and can be connected to any one of a number of input points that have been installed around the restaurant, bar and terrace.

The Soundweb controllers, along with Crown amplifiers for the QSC speakers, the Australian monitor amplifier and other ancillary items are all housed in a single 19” rack. Installed in the rack is a compact PC that allows remote access and monitoring, should a fault occur or any system configuration changes be required. The Launch night saw DJ sets from Trevor Nelson and Clint Boon with technical staff Ryan Thomas and Mark Strudwick on hand providing support. Project Manager Mark Hatfield was responsible for the day to day running of the installation delivery.

Area 51, Westminster University

East 59th & Issho, Leeds

https://20stories.co.uk