Located in Santa Margherita on the coast of the Gulf of Portofino, Italy’s Covo di Nord-Est (Northeast Lair) recently completed an extensive rebuild with the assistance Italian distributor Audiosales. Part of the project was a completely new sound system featuring Martin Audio loudspeakers and subwoofers supported by Powersoft’s fixed install dedicated Quattrocanali 1204 and Ottocanali 4K4 amplifier platforms, with onboard DSP

Built in 1934 as a private residence, the venue was the most popular club in Italy during the 1960s and ’70s, and after storms ravaged the venue in late 2018, it has once again opened its doors to the public. Famous for its nightlife, location, and high-profile clientele, Covo di Nord-Est now boasts a new audio upgrade worthy of the reputation it holds.

‘After the storm in 2018, we undertook a complete rebuild the entire venue,’ said Stefano Lo Sardo, owner of Vibra Service and project manager for this build. ‘But we didn’t just want to rebuild, we wanted to upgrade, and that meant a new audio system that would rise up to the challenge.’

‘Our focus was to provide coverage throughout the entire venue, especially in the centre, as it’s where the bar and most guest seating are .We also needed to consider the buildings around us, making sure that we avoided undesirable coverage near the surrounding buildings.’

The system was designed with six Martin Audio CDD10B loudspeakers suspended from the ceiling in the centre of the venue. These, along with a furother 12 loudspeakers and subwoofers placed throughout the venue, are fed from an Audac preamplifier and Powersoft’s Ottocanali and Quattrocanali amplifiers.

‘We needed powerful amplifier platforms providing the best sonic performance and protection for this project, as the speakers are performing at a high level for hours on end,’ Lo Sardo explains. ‘Powersoft’s Quattrocanali and Ottocanali were exactly what we were looking for. They are exceptionally powerful, and the built in DSP was a big advantage for us.’

Named to relfect their number of channels, the Quattrocanali (four) and Ottocanali (eight) amplifier platforms have been designed with the user in mind. Boasting efficiency and power at a low operational cost, the amplifiers strive to not only amplify and support an audio system, but to protect it. The clip limiter for loudspeakers, short circuit protection, long-term limiters against steady non-audio signals which can minimise output, and general thermal protection, all are features of the amplifiers which were used to the advantage of the Covo di Nord-Est system.

‘We also used the ArmoníaPlus software for this project, and it gave us complete control over every aspect of this system. It’s extremely intuitive and easy to use,’ Lo Sardo adds.

Powersoft recently unveiled ArmoníaPlus 2.0, which gives system integrators and users a new definition of what Powersoft amplifiers are truly capable of in fixed installation projects. Among the new features are customisable user interfaces, passive controls and an app dedicated to controlling the new customisable interfaces: Powersoft System Control.

‘The design of the amplifiers is something I was impressed by,’ Lo Sardo says. ‘On top of their robustness and power-to-size ratio, you can see that the terminal blocks on the back of the amplifier have been designed for ease of use, making installing the cables a simple task.’

The result of the work of Lo Sardo and the Audiosales team was an audio system that perfectly met the end user’s requirements: audio technology that would upgrade this world-renowned club.

‘The outcome was a success,’ Lo Sardo reports. ‘The Audiosales team supported us every step of the way and helped us create this incredible installation.’