A new West Palm Beach landmark, the Canopy by Hilton is a boutique lifestyle hotel with a stunning glass façade and fibre-optic art hanging in the atrium, and shopping, dining and entertainment nearby. To ensure the best sound experience for guests, the hotel management turned to ‘Skinny’ Greg Gilman, TM Sound and loudspeaker systems from DAS Audio.
Gilman is involved in a wide range of sound and music endeavours throughout the West Palm Beach area, including being a well-known DJ. Working in conjunction with A/V design/build firm TM Sound, the combined team deployed an assortment of DAS loudspeakers that drew from the company’s WR, Quantum, and Artec Series catalogues.
‘Most of the install inside the hotel is a blend of a stereo sound system reinforced by distributed audio,’ Gilman explains. ‘The entryway of the lobby has two DAS Quantum 23-TW loudspeakers, which provide guests entering the premises their first taste of the venue’s high-quality sound. Inside the Banter restaurant, there are two Artec 310.96-W loudspeakers that fill the room effortlessly – without the need for increased volume. This set-up provides balanced sound, enabling servers to interact with guests, and for guests to enjoy a sound accompaniment to their dining.
‘Moving up to the 13th floor, the Treehouse is intended to offer guests an exquisite nightlife experience without having to leave the hotel, so we installed four Artec 506-W loudspeakers, one in each corner facing toward the centre of the room,’ Gilman continues. ‘These are accompanied by two Quantum 10-W subwoofers, which reside next to the couches. Treehouse also features an outdoor bar and patio area, which is equipped with four DAS WR-8826-DXW loudspeakers. Our greatest challenge in this area was to offer incredible sound and high energy – without disturbing the neighbours.
‘For the pool, we installed six WR-6412-DXW loudspeakers and supported them with two WR-322-DX subwoofers, which are hidden in the planter areas. This is where the owners asked us to ensure the sound would be very high energy, and this combination of loudspeakers certainly delivered. I should also add that DAS power amplifiers drive every single loudspeaker throughout the entire hotel.’
The new DAS Audio sound systems were installed during February and they went live immediately. Since that time, both hotel management and guests have been impressed with their performance.
‘The loudspeakers were perfect for every area they were installed in,’ Gilman reports. ‘There were moments of concern by management that the loudspeakers were going to be too big for the energy the owners wanted for Treehouse. But the Artec 506 and Q10s not only fit in perfectly from an aesthetic perspective, they also make that room sound amazing. The WR-8826 series offer an amazing balance between quality of sound, amplitude, and clarity – ensuring that the staff will never have to wake the neighbours to entertain their guests. Similarly, the WR-6412 loudspeakers are readily available for any event the hotel might encounter.
‘Everyone who hears the system for the first time is in complete awe,’ Gilman adds. ‘One of my favourite moments of this build was the day we finished tuning the pool deck. We had the volume turned up for testing and the General Manager approached us grinning from ear to ear to inform us that his wife called to tell him that the system sounded amazing. DAS Audio’s support services also deserve credit. There is not a time I can recall that any question I had was not promptly answered by the DAS team. This really has been a win-win experience for everyone involved.’
