latest news headlines
Waxy O’Connor’s London Receives JBL Upgrade
Colin Pattenden of creative sound designer and installation specialist CP Sound is well known for his excellent ears and sonic sensitivity . . . and he’s also an enthusiastic JBL specifier.
Waxy O’Connors in London, the original ‘Irish pub’ venue in Glendola Leisure’s highly successful themed chain, was opened 10 years ago. CP Sound was brought in to service the system, and over the years has made several modifications, some of which have involved the addition of JBL speakers. To celebrate their 10th Birthday, Waxy’s decided to fully upgrade the sound system – on Pattenden’s recommendation – which now includes a full complement of JBL speakers and one of his unique sound designs.
The installation features over 43 JBL speakers in total, picked from different ranges including 14 Control 25s, 12 Control 28s, six Control 26 CT ceiling speakers, four Control 29s, five SB2s and two SB210s. It sounds “Absolutely stonking!” according to Pattenden.
He uses JBL for several different reasons, including the fact that “there’s a speaker for every application; whether you want to fill an awkward space or blast loads of energy out onto a dancefloor, JBL has a solution.” He adds that the service from Harman Pro UK, JBL Professional’s exclusive UK distributors, is also consistently good.
The latest refit at Waxy’s has included the addition of two new zones, expanding the cavernous venue into a fully integrated 12-zone audio environment, including the toilets. The toilets are one of the most important – and often overlooked – areas for sound in Pattenden’a opinion. Virtually everyone in a venue will visit at some point, and often they will spend time lingering, chatting and gossiping and taking a break from the fray. He doesn’t see the point of having a fabulous sounding system everywhere else and bad sound in the toilets, which he describes as “a complete let down to the rest of your work”.
Waxy’s WC’s are now peaking and resplendent with JBL Control 24 and 26 CT (spherical) ceiling speakers, and the sound matches the full sonic richness of the rest of the venue. “The sound quality of those speakers is exceptional,” says Pattenden, “Especially the bottom end!”
Back in the main venue, the principal Church Bar has had all the previous speakers removed and replaced with four JBL Control 29s and two SB210 dual 10 inch 400 Watt subs “that really kick ass”. “Everyone loves it,” says Pattenden. “Plenty of power and punch, and great, crisp top end”.
The Tree Room – tall, ecclesiastical and always a defining feature of Waxy’s venues – has the sound boosted with the addition of two SB2s and four Control 28s.
The new Dargle Bar, previously a restaurant area, now features two SB2s and four Control 28’s, so it’s really come up-market in terms of sound. It’s also a new zone in its own right, as is The Shed, which has always been a space within the venue, but until now has never had a dedicated zone.
The main audio challenges with a labyrinthine space like Waxy’s says Pattenden, “is ensuring you get even coverage around all the corners and dealing with all the surfaces and angles”. It’s a tricky job, but he now has it off to a fine art, and has subsequently kitted out Waxy’s venues in Manchester and Birmingham – also using JBL.
15th December 2005
HEADLINES
news archive
search stories
FOOTNOTE: Select the news type you require in the red band above; this will enable you to see the current news stories from that section
© 1999 - 2012 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories
