EAW KF740 Loudspeakers Are the Centerpiece for L.A.s Supperclub

The latest addition to the international Supperclub group of dining and entertainment

establishments recently opened in Hollywood, California. The venue features a flown,

custom, five-way EAW line array system that covers the dance floor and a smaller

EAW system installed in the bar area. In addition, four EAW MicroWedges provide

monitoring for DJs and guest music artists. Four EAW UX8800 four-channel digital

signal processors manage the speaker systems, which are powered by Lab.gruppen

amplification.

Sound designer and contractor Michael Lacina of San Francisco-based JK Sound

specified a line array with substantial headroom in order to provide distortion-free

coverage throughout the room and also to ensure longevity. There are 16 compression

drivers, 16 mid-range, 32 low-mid and 16 mid-bass drivers in the array, plus eight

21-inch drivers, he notes. A system that is going to be driven at dance club levels

without any distortion, and a system that is going to run until 4 a.m. with zero

maintenance issues, just has to be massive.

Supperclub Los Angeles is located in the historic Vogue Theatre, a former movie

house built in 1935 on Hollywood Boulevard, and the venue for numerous major motion

picture premieres in its heyday. Supperclub music director Michael Anthony, a former

resident DJ at San Franciscos Ruby Sky, an award-winning club that was outfitted

with a customized EAW system by JK Sound, brought Lacina onto the Supperclub Los

Angeles project.

The system in the main all-white Salle Neige (Snow Room) consists of eight flown EAW

KF740P Three-Way Line Array Modules and eight EAW SC215 custom dual-15-inch bass

speakers, with four EAW SB2001 21-inch Subwoofers located below the stage. All of

the EAW speakers are custom finished in white to match the dcor.

Two EAW MW15 MicroWedges provide monitoring at the movable DJ console. Another pair

of the 15-inch MicroWedges is available to expand the system and provide up to four

discrete channels of monitoring for artist showcases. The monitors have patch points

on stage to transform them into live sound wedges.

A separate system consisting of two EAW AX396 three-way speakers and a pair of EAW

DCS2 Bent Horn Dance Club Subwoofers covers the Bar Rouge (Red Bar), which can be

separated from the Salle Neige by heavy curtains. I like the dual concentric

high-mid, eight-inch mid-range with the compression driver in the center, comments

Lacina. The AX396 sounds more natural than most dual concentric speakers, because of

the unique radial phase plug.

In order to achieve the 90 degrees of vertical dispersion from the line array that

the room required, Lacina designed a 12-foot-tall configuration with dipole

subwoofers, installing a pair of SC215 subs above and a pair below four KF740P

modules in each of the two hangs. Lacina states, The magic of the sound system is

that the speakers and acoustics are designed to work together. There really was no

need for a line array taller than four KF740's per side  that's already plenty of

output  but on the other hand, it's only a four-foot-tall array, and its losing

vertical control fast below 300 Hz. So the acoustic walls take care of some of that.

Still, a one-inch-thick acoustic material is not going to absorb the extra mid bass

punch you get from a great dance club system, which is why we extended the height of

the array with the two pairs of custom dual 15" flown subs. With this arrangement we

have 90 degree vertical pattern control down to about 80 Hz.

The flown dipole SC215 subwoofer setup features specially modified EAW SB625

modules. The dipole subs also contribute to the directionality of the array. The top

subwoofers are processed differently than the bottom subs; were doing a little

shading with the UX8800 sound focusing processors. The result is zero reflection off

the ceiling. Its a dream system, stated Lacina.

A 12 foot-tall line array in a dance club may appear to be overkill, Lacina admits.

Not many nightclubs have a line array  but the bottom line is great sound for the

club-goers, which keeps them coming back.

For more information, please visit www.eaw.com