A reference to the national flower of Vietnam, Renkon takes its cue from the Japanese izakaya ( from ‘stay' and 'sake’ shop) style of informal bar to offer high-quality food and drink, hip-hop music and innovative design in Ho Chi Minh City. Meaning ‘lotus root’, Renkon is the work of the Eight Four Collective, a hospitality group bringing Japanese-inspired restaurants and bars to Vietnam.
To provide Renkon’s sound system, the Eight Four Collective brought in systems integrator DesignLive Technologies: ‘There was no hesitation in proposing a Symetrix DSP and ARC-Web solution,’ says DesignLive Technologies Director of Business Development & Engineering, Benjamin Lee. ‘With three restaurants in the pipeline, the client’s team had experience with the quality, agility and user friendliness of the Symetrix platform at other venues done by DesignLive. The Symetrix solution was selected as the platform of choice for all of their current and future venues.’
Symetrix Prism DSPs offer 128 (64x64) Dante channels for ultra-reliable multi-channel audio networking over IP. The Prism’s analogue I/O is scalable; the Prism 8x8 chosen for Renkon provides eight switchable balanced mic or line-level inputs and 8 line-level outputs. Prism’s embedded web server displays I/O levels and diagnostics data and hosts Symetrix’ ARC-Web browser-based interface for smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Renkon occupies approximately 200sq-m over two floors. ‘As a high-end venue, flexibility to cater for the clientele’s requests is crucial, and the Prism DSP was able to allow each floor to operate as a separate zone for setting up private events,’ Lee notes. ‘The ARC-Web wireless app allows restaurant staff full control of the system on iPads and smartphones.’
The Prism 8x8 at Renkon manages a Dante digital audio network, sending audio to Powersoft Quattrocanali amplifiers, which drive Fulcrum Acoustic loudspeakers. Wall plates provide analogue inputs into the network for DJs, and there are spare Cat6 cable drops around the venue to provide Dante network access throughout the space, making the venue highly configurable.
‘The client is bringing a new, progressive brand of food and beverages to the Vietnam scene, and exceptionally high-quality audio was as important as top-class food, service, and interior design,’ Lee summarises. ‘The Symetrix platform’s reliability, end-to-end audio quality, and processing is second to none in the crowded market of DSPs, and DesignLive does not hesitate when absolute sound quality is demanded.’
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