Having opened in 1991 and hosted local and international touring acts including Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Alabama Shakes, famed Seattle nightclub The Crocodile has reopened in a new spacious multi-venue entertainment complex.
Widely regarded as the birthplace of Grunge, the venue now features a 750-capacity Showroom performance space and bar for major acts, a smaller basement level 300-capacity performance lounge (Madame Lou’s) for emerging acts, and a theatre (Here After).
TAB-Funkenwerk handled the renovation using products from d&b audiotechnik, SSL and Sommer Cable.
‘The basic principle is, large copper conductors with high strand count is optimal,’ says The Crocodile Technical Director, Val Foster. ‘The d&b V-series speaker spec calls for two conductors per V8 – utilising array processing – and wiring up the PA with high AWG two-conductor wire would give you functioning system. However, more copper at 224 strands per conductor results in higher sensitivity and resolution across the entire audio bandwidth. Not only do we use 11 AWG wire, we use four-conductor cabling and jump two conductors together to make it 2x11AWG per terminal.
‘By doubling the conductors, we decrease resistance. Thus we are essentially going beyond load matching that software can do in the amps - by doing it the analogue way. Furthermore, Sommer has the highest strand count per wire gauge that is readily available. In our search for lowest resistance and highest resolution, Sommer was the optimal choice.’
Some 2,707ft of Sommer Elephant/Eclipse cable was used for hard wiring the d&b amplifiers to loudspeaker connections throughout the venue. All of the mic/line input cabling – 2,001ft – is also from Sommer’s Galileo series.
An additional 3,800sq-ft movie theatre houses a comedy club that hosts one-person shows, art exhibitions and other smaller, community-focused events. The theatre space, dubbed Here-After, has Sommer cabling running to the stereo mains. The Crocodile also operates a third-floor hotel as a perk for touring acts and visitors to Seattle’s burgeoning music scene.
Dennis Maximova of TAB-Funkenwerk was the lead integrator on the project and designed Crocodile’s systems, including extensive acoustical design, the backbone building integration including electrical layout, Audio/Video signal distribution throughout the venue and access for online streaming using 7,875ft of Cat7a cabling.
‘Dennis’ initial order was for Sommer’s Galileo mic cable and Elephant speaker cable, but he later returned for some of the company’s Eclipse speaker cable,’ Lowell Stringer, Account Manager with Sommer dealer Have Inc recalls. ‘Sommer’s line is the perfect choice for both live venue and studio installations. The cable is built to withstand being trampled underfoot by Doc Martens and doused in spilled beer while reliably delivering audio with the clarity and impact that a venue as legendary as The Crocodile deserves.’
