One of 51 entertainment centres in the UK run by Tenpin Ltd, Tenpin Dudley’s primary focus is on its 28 bowling lanes, with additional facilities including a licensed bar, arcade machines, live sports TV coverage, a soft play area, pool tables, and two karaoke rooms that can accommodate up to ten customers each.
Constantly looking to improve the experience of its guests, Tenpin wished to upgrade the audio system at the venue with a focus on improving control of distributed background audio across its various zones. Regular Tenpin supplier Perfect Octave was engaged to deliver a high-quality, best-fit solution that would offer simple, intuitive operation for the venue’s staff. Perfect Octave’s Peter Sheppard recommended an Optimal Audio solution…
‘I discovered Optimal Audio’s products having attended an open days not long after the brand launched. Obviously, the connection with Martin Audio as part of the Focusrite group was a good indication that this new commercial audio brand would be of a very high standard, and I wasn’t disappointed. The Optimal Audio Zone 8 controller was the perfect choice for the Dudley site.’
Optimal Audio’s Zone 8 with DSP and WebApp presents users with a full suite of audio controls for up to eight zones with fully flexible signal routing. With two mic, four stereo line and two HDMI inputs, Zone 8 has the necessary I/O in a competitively priced package. It enables easy configuration and everyday operation allowing the user to independently allocate sources across eight configurable zones that can be configured for precisely what is required using the WebApp – including EQs, loudspeaker presets and structured time-of-day routines.
As well as being designed to work with products in the Optimal Audio range, Zone 8 can be used to with third-party products – and at Tenpin Dudley, Perfect Octave integrated the unit into the existing infrastructure using OSC. Using WebApp’s simple digital interface – which hides unnecessary information – the were easily able to take control of the system. From a troubleshooting point of view, remote monitoring was important for Perfect Octave, so the Zone 8 was connected via VPN to enable easy maintenance.
Although the greater part of the loudspeaker installation at Tenpin Dudley was already taken care of, Perfect Octave recommended replacing the units in the karaoke rooms with Optimal Audio Cuboid 8 loudspeakers to improve the enjoyment of singers and listeners.
‘The Cuboid speakers are conspicuous for how great they sound and look,’ says Sheppard. ‘They’ve significantly elevated the experience in the karaoke rooms at the venue, and we’re looking forward to using the IP54 rated Cuboid 3 and 5 units on future ventures.
The Tenpin Dudley team are finding it to be reliable and easy to use. Underlining the success of the install is the fact that Optimal Audio solutions are currently destined for another 8 Tenpin sites in the hands of Perfect Octave, with more planned. At larger venues, where the control requirements include lights and other elements, Zone and WebApp can be integrated with third-party control solutions.
‘At Optimal Audio, our aim from the outset was to de-mystify much of the complexity faced by end-users in commercial audio settings,’ says Optimal Audio Engineering Manager, Matt Rowe. ‘The market was crying out for easy-to-use, intuitive solutions that could be operated by busy members of staff in retail, hospitality and entertainment settings, such as Tenpin, without the need for extensive technical knowledge or training.
‘Perfect Octave’s deployment of Zone 8 at the Dudley venue amply illustrates just how effective it can be as a control system in this type of environment. We were really pleased to see the Cuboid 8 speakers chosen for the karaoke rooms – Perfect Octave has already expressed an interest in using the full range of Optimal Audio loudspeakers on a number of future installs.’
