Forever Wuhan

The investors behind one of China’s most ambitious nightclub projects wanted a sound system that would elevate their nightclub beyond the ordinary. Chinese entertainment giant, the Noah’s Ark Group, required a full AV solution to be integrated in its newest venue, Forever Wuhan, a 5,000 square meter site located in Xintiandi, the business district in Wuhan.

The 5,000 square metre space consists of three main areas: the main ‘House Style’ hall, which has a capacity of 2000, a smaller dedicated hip-hop area and several private KTV rooms, which is a popular karaoke franchise in China.

For Wuhan’s new nightclub Forever, KV2’s diverse product range offered the right solution for all aspects of the system, with the focus being on its flagship VHD5 Constant Power Source System. VHD5 delivers the extremely high output levels required for a large nightclub setting with clarity and definition unmatched by competing systems.

Not only that but VHD5 utilises unique hybrid processing, combining cutting-edge technology in both the analogue and digital domains to produce the most precise, high-definition phase-coherent audio possible, even over large distances.

Integrated flyware made it easy to group units together, making it easy for the installer. 50 subwoofers were also installed to surround the crowd, resulting in a substantial low-end output which is ideal for China’s notoriously bass-heavy scene.
As a result, the integrator was praised for delivering a very space-efficient system thanks to KV2’s compact technology, which manages to cover a vast area whilst ensuring uniform clarity and precision at all points in the room.

The main room includes trussing structures, lighting, and 3D effects, although this entry only deals with the audio element. The end-to-end KV2 solution was supplied by AVMedia, and physically integrated by Guangzhou Idee International Sound System Co., Ltd. (IDEE).

For the main system of the main room, the team installed a series of audio equipment to help bring the venue to life. This included: two VHD5.0, two VHD8.10, two VHD5000, two VHD5000S, two VHD2.0 (as Frontfill), two VHD2000, two ESM312 (DJ monitoring), 16 TIME12 (Fills) and 50 ESD1.18.

For the system behind the venue’s smaller Hip Hop Room, the team installed:  two ESM312, two TIME12, and 12 ESD1.18.

Noah’s Ark was already familiar with the KV2 brand as it had previously replaced systems from other well-known audio brands with KV2 in five of its other nightspots around China, as other systems simply didn’t live up to its expectations. Therefore, when AVMedia suggested KV2’s flagship VHD5 for this location, Noah’s Ark didn’t hesitate in purchasing the system.

AVMedia specified a L/R system comprising a VHD5.0 mid/hi combined with a VHD8.10 low/mid element per side with two VHD2.0 frontfills. 16 ESD12 two-way full-range loudspeakers (named TIME12 in China) act as a fill system for the numerous private booths and VIP areas.

50 ESD1.18 subwoofers provide powerful bass reinforcement for the main room of the club. 24 of the 50 subwoofers cover the 16m space at the front of the DJ booth to entice revellers to fill up the space from the front. Eight of these subs are integrated into the front of the booth itself, and eight are flown from each side to create an immersive feel. The remaining 26 units are seamlessly built into seating booths distributed across the back of the room. Finally, a pair of KV2’s ESM312 provide accurate sound reproduction for the DJ booth itself.

Power, processing and control for the VHD systems are supplied by dedicated VHD power units, the VHD5000, VHD5000S and VHD2000 respective

The principal challenge in a venue like this was ensuring audio constancy throughout such a large space. This required careful planning on the integrator’s part, which was made significantly easier thanks to the unique design of the VHD5 Constant Power Source system which brings the benefits of point source technology to large-scale sound reinforcement. The VHD5 features a custom-designed manifold horn assembly with a summing waveguide, ensuring even and consistent sound dispersion.