Project:
Jalou
Location:
Newcastle Upon Tyne & York, UK
Manufacturers:
TW Audio
Lighting / Visual Designer:
Technical Arts
Installer:
Technical Arts
Project Submitted By:
TW Audio
With signature cocktails, a hip-hop soundtrack and celebrity VIP guests, Jalou is renowned as one of the UK’s most prestigious nightlife brands. Originally launched in Newcastle Upon Tyne, the nightclub-style bar recently spearheaded a planned country-wide expansion by opening in York. Now, both Jalou sites have been completed with spectacular bespoke architectural lighting designs and powerful but precise sound reinforcement courtesy of TW AUDiO.
The company responsible for shaping both sites is Technical Arts, whose Martin Tarpy worked closely on the project with TW AUDiO UK. “Given the music profile of Jalou and the clientele’s expectations, it was obvious that we needed high energy and very high-quality audio with excellent bass reproduction,” says Tarpy. “Having worked with TW AUDiO on a growing number of projects, it was abundantly clear to us that they were the best choice. Because of the product portfolio that TW AUDiO can bring to the party, we knew that we’d get the right dispersion characteristics for both spaces.”
Partygoers who take to the dancefloor in either Jalou Newcastle or York will now find themselves listening to a loudspeaker system more usually found in touring rigs. “We needed to provide high levels of very high-quality sound to the dancefloor areas, but we also had to be very mindful of acoustic spill,” reasons Simeon Ludwell, Managing Director of TW AUDiO UK. “In York, it’s a very old building, so we had to consider the acoustic spill to the street and the surrounding neighbours, while in Newcastle the bar is located directly beneath a hotel.
“The solution was to install four M10 touring speakers in each venue, all firing downwards onto the dancefloor. York Jalou is very loud! The SPL on the dance-floor is extreme but contained. There are also two B18 subwoofers delivering low-end. In Newcastle, we maintained the same theme, with four M10 speakers and the new B17i installation subwoofer. We also installed four C5 speakers into the VIP area, offering fantastic SPL from a very small box.” Power for both venues is delivered by a mixture of Powersoft Ottocanali, Duocanali and X4 amplifiers.
“The experience with TW AUDiO has been brilliant and that’s because the company understands our needs,” says Tarpy. “They will help in any way they can to ensure that the timelines are deliverable. A brand with that kind of experience and customer service is invaluable.”
John Mcleman, Operations Manager for Jalou, is quick to agree. “With the guys from Technical Arts and TW AUDiO we were able to create fantastic installed systems and we’re very pleased with the outcome,” he enthuses, concluding: “It’s a no-brainer for us to continue using TW AUDiO in our other projects. The customers get a great experience and all of the DJs are very happy, which is obviously very important for us. It’s exactly what we set out to achieve.”
