Its unorthodox to the use of sound has earned the new Comal restaurant in Berkeley’s downtown Arts District the attention of publications like San Francisco Chronicle and Fast Company.

Using the Libra acoustic image system and Constellation active acoustic system from Meyer Sound, the restuarnt is able to dynamically control the sound space – using an iPad, Comal’s management can maintain the desired ambience, while still allowing intimate conversations, regardless of occupancy levels.

After 17 years of managing the rock band Phish, Comal owner John Paluska has found a new calling in running a restaurant, as well as new environment for his use of sound. ‘It’s a hot-button issue in the restaurant world these days,’ he says. ‘Noise is one of the top complaints in reviews and surveys. At Comal, we don’t want a space that is hushed and dead-sounding. We want it festive, but never overbearing.’

To achieve this balance, Meyer Sound engineers first controlled the acoustics using, in part, the Libra acoustic image system, installed here for the first time. Custom-designed with stunning imagery under the artistic direction of Deborah O’Grady, the Libra panels damp difficult reverberant spaces using tailored combinations of fabric types, frame depth, and underlying acoustical absorption.

To actively control the depth and texture of ambient sound – both conversation and foreground music – the Meyer Sound team then added the Constellation acoustic system. Constellation picks up a room’s ambient sound and, after applying the VRAS reverberation algorithm, regenerates an enhanced wash of sound throughout the space at the optimum levels. Three presets, adjustable via an iPad, are provided to adjust for changing occupancy levels. The restaurant can also heighten the ‘buzz’ around the bar and lower it for the guests in the dining areas.

Designed as a proof of concept, the system covering Comal’s 3,000-sq-ft indoor area uses 38 Meyer Sound UPJunior VariO and 45 MM-4XP loudspeakers, 12 MM-10 miniature subwoofers and 28 microphones. The loudspeakers are distributed around the restaurant to support the Constellation system and provide low-distortion background music. Digital processing is hosted by the D-Mitri digital audio platform.

‘I use the analogy of a portrait photo taken with shallow depth of field,’ Paluska, explains. ‘Up close, the image is sharply detailed, while behind it there is a pleasantly textured but undefined setting. That’s the sound environment here. We’re creating sonic microclimates, where people in proximity can converse easily, yet we still have an energetic buzz in the atmosphere. It’s always convivial, but it doesn’t distract or exhaust you.’

In addition to the main dining and bar area, Comal features a sound reinforcement system of 14 UP-4XP and two UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers, and MM-10 subwoofers installed in its hallway and its 2,500-sq-ft enclosed patio.

More: www.meyersound.com