Pirates Paradise is a unique, multi-sensory, gastronomic and entertainment combination near Lille that takes the concept of a themed restaurant to another level. With its spectacular pirate-ship interior and 130m2 play area, Pirates Paradise is a family destination that regularly feeds more than 500 guests at weekends. The swashbuckling entertainment is central to the success of the concept and its creators placed audio excellence as an essential requirement.
Pirates Paradise appointed Public Address, with General Manager, Gregory Devilder and Head of Technical, Benjamin Pauwels taking up the challenge. They recommended CODA Audio for the site, knowing it would produce top quality sound across the entire venue. The system needed to cater primarily for background music during dining hours but also for speech reinforcement in what can become a very lively environment.
The main PA comprises two hangs of two CODA Audio CoRAY4i cabinets and a single G18SUB subwoofers flown head-on as the space is entered, L-R above a row of ‘drinking houses’. A ‘pirate ship’ hosts two more CoRAY4i cabinets and two G15SUBs. Opposite is ‘the jail’ whose setup mirrors the ‘pirate ship’ set up.
The CoRAY4i is the installation version of the CoRAY4, specifically optimised for permanent installations. Unwanted reflections can easily be eliminated with the CoRAY4i by altering the horizontal and asymmetrical coverage, for greater intelligibility. This feature is utilised at Pirates Paradise due to it being a large, tricky space with textured surfaces. The G18SUB subwoofers are hidden amongst scenery with G15SUB subwoofers used on the wings.
A further combination of CODA Audio HOPS5, HOPS8i and D5’s have been installed to ensure even coverage around the entire room. The D5 is ultra compact and sits discreetly within the scenery, while delivering a true one point source output. Two trusses, above the diners carry four HOPS8i as fills. Up on the mezzanine level are two HOPS5 and another G15SUB bass cabinet. And to complete the line-up, four HOPS8i and two U12-SUBs occupy the bar area.
Seven CODA Audio LiNUS10C amplifiers power the entire system.
Pirates Paradise was a challenging install for a number of reasons. The space itself was tricky owing to the large amount of scenery present. In order to achieve the required coverage and intelligibility as well as discreet appearance, speaker placement had to be spot on and sympathetic to the variety of irregular shapes and surfaces within the space. This was further complicated by the fact that the design of the interior was relatively fluid as the scenery was built, meaning that the team had to constantly adapt the audio design as the build progressed. CODA’s range and quality of speakers was instrumental in overcoming this challenge, enabling the team to be as flexible as possible.
The system was designed in conjunction with CODA Audio France, in particular Yves Guegan and Philippe Pelmelle who assisted with loudspeaker and subwoofer placements. They were also on-hand during installation and assisted with tuning, too. The electricians took about a month to run the cables, before Public address and CODA Audio France moved in, to complete the fit-out over the course of two weeks. The system was thoroughly tested ahead of opening to ensure that everything was tuned and and aligned correctly and proved an immediate hit with the venue’s owners and patrons.
Pirates Paradise was an unusual and challenging application, that demanded a flexible approach without any compromise on audio quality. CODA Audio’s range enabled the designers and installers to put together a solution that met every requirement of the brief, efficiently and very effectively. The complexities of delivering superb audio in a large irregular space of ‘pirate ships’, ‘jails’ and restaurant tables catering for 500 patrons at a time, should not be underestimated. Excellent teamwork in the face of a shifting brief, combined with CODA Audio quality, achieved every aim.
