Sydney’s latest underground music venue, and claiming to hold one of the world’s largest vinyl collections, The Caterpillar Club takes its inspiration from the 1970s, the vibrant clubs of New York and Martin Audio.
Live bands also perform here on weeknights a week and, according to General Manager Emma Franceschini, any time there’s not a band on, there’s a DJ spinning vinyl – this includes the secret Bamboo Room Tiki bar where DJs can also be found at the weekend.
Supplying the essential sound ingredient to the cocktail under the direction of Stefan and Anton Forte (from Swillhouse Group), Anthony Russo from Technical Audio Group (TAG) turned to Martin Audio’s CDD loudspeakers. His design will handle everything from the warm sound of vinyl to the crisp clarity of digital recordings, as well as the demands of the club’s live acts.
There is little Russo doesn’t know about Martin Audio’s coaxial differential dispersion technology, having specified CDD many times. ‘It’s the premium solution for a lot of top venues around Australia,’ he says. ‘In every room at The Caterpillar, you’ll see CDD8s and CDD6s, and concealed SX110 subs in the ceiling and under the banquette seating right through to the FOH system which is a powerful CDD12 system – with a delay system, complete with LE100 foldback wedges.’
In total, he has equipped the venue with upwards of 60 loudspeakers, 30 amplifier channels, and 40kW of available amplifier power to serve eight zones. Even the Bamboo Room indulges patrons with a powerful Martin Audio system that would be at home on a large dancefloor.
To ensure the detail of vinyl can be heard in hi-fi clarity, while enabling easy conversation to take place at the tables, the large complement of loudspeakers delivers a range from lounge low-volume chill levels to a live performance experience of a concert without needing to be overdriven.
‘It is also designed to provide consistent coverage of the whole room while permitting everyone to have what I call a “headphone experience”,’ Russo says. ‘There’s always a speaker nearby, not too loud, just at the right level. It’s something people haven’t been used to, a real hi-fi experience in a live venue environment and that’s why we’re infinitely proud.’
This focus on precision extends to digital audio processing, networking, mixing and amplification, while to do justice to the vast vinyl library, The Caterpillar invested in a handmade Australian rotary DJ console from Condesa.
‘The thing about the Martin Audio system is you have that extra clarity in the room,’ Franceschini says. ‘And, since we’re a vinyl bar and you want to be able to hear the nuances, a world-class sound system like Martin Audio lets you do that.’
More: https://martin-audio.com