New London West End Italian restaurant Daroco Soho has opened with a Martin Audio CDD sound reinforcement system installed by Marquee AV. Introduced to the project by design and construction consultant, Cotton Thompson Cole, Marquee Project Director Stacey Tough took the lead.
Tough says the preference for Martin Audio was a joint decision between himself and the clients, who had specifically requested the brand. ‘The fact that they knew, and liked Martin Audio helped the process considerably,’ he says. ‘As they already knew they were getting a first-class product we didn’t have to arrange a demo.’
The brief was to provide a system that would deliver quality sound with even coverage throughout, within the two-storey architecturally led environment. This includes the Wacky Wombat cocktail bar in the basement with a DJ booth, providing a club-like atmosphere.
Marquee AV provided separate DJ input facilities on both floors, which represent separate zones, accessed by a number of background music players. Programmable wall controllers on each floor allow local volume control and independent source selection.
The sound system itself comprises six CDD8B loudspeakers and four SX210 subs in the basement (Wacky Wombat) and eight CDD6B, underpinned by four concealed SX210 subwoofers on the ground floor, and a single CDD5B in reception. With sound needing to remain consistent through stairwells, corridors and toilets, nine Adorn A55T loudspeakers function as fill in these ancillary areas.
Explaining the logic behind this selection, the Tough explains that the ceiling height had been the reason for selecting wall-mounted CDD6s for the ground floor, with anti-vibration mounts on both floors.
‘The subs are recessed into furniture and seating on both floors, while the Adorn speakers serve the corridors. In the basement bar the CDD8s are ceiling mounted, and a further four of the SX210s are incorporated into the seating, to support the DJ set-up.’
Tough reports a successful experience as the restaurant concept completed a transition from its original base in Paris. In fact, it had been the task of Cotton Thompson Cole to provided design support to the Client’s French architect, Olivier Delannoy from the Reinh agency to bring the vision to life, coordinating the building works and ensuring the project remained on track through to completion.
As for the sound system, Tough reports that it ‘behaves exactly as we and the client wanted, and it was a pleasure to work in such a beautifully designed interior.’
Praising the work carried out, Julien Ross, co-founder of Daroco, adds: ‘We are delighted with the success of the recent audio installation at Daroco Soho. Working with Stacey and the Marquee AV team was a seamless experience, and their dedication to excellence truly shone through. The result of the installation exceeded our expectations, enhancing the overall audio experience at our venue.’
