|
Harpers nightclub in Guildford and its nearby sister venue Voodoo Lounge are a focus of the town's busy night life, students from the University of Surrey rubbing shoulders with local clubbers, all on a mission for a quality night out.
Harpers and Voodoo Lounge have recently been given a major refurbishment, including a comprehensive overhaul of the audio systems.
"The refurbishment is the first in 14 years of operating the venues," says owner Michel Harper. "The industry is changing and we are having to be a lot more creative. Clubbers are becoming more discerning and are demanding more quality. The days of quantity over quality, of small speakers being overdriven, are gone."
Harper predicts that live entertainment in all its forms – music, comedy, etc - is going to return as a major force in club venues, while niche markets need to be catered for during the week, like tableside dancing for the business market.
"We've also just signed a deal with Guildford's ACM – the Academy of Contemporary Music," he adds. "They were here doing a Gospel show last night."
In order to accommodate such diversity, the new audio systems have needed to be extremely versatile, able to deliver crisp, clear sound whether for speech, live music, background music or pumping club beats. As far as Harper was concerned, the choice of system was not up for debate.
"I've been a great advocate of Turbosound for many years, using various aspects of their product range from small bins to the larger touring rigs," he continues. "They take a personal interest in their product and their after sales is very good. The proof is in the pudding – after a decade I'’m still buying their kit, including most of the peripherals such as amplifiers."
The main Harpers system comprises four Floodlight TFL-760Ht mid-highs and four TSW-718 subs, with four QLight™ TQ-440SP for stage and dance floor Infills and six Impact 80 as conjoined bar infills. Amplification comes from two Crown MA VZ 3600, two VZ 2400 and one VZ 1200 for the main system, with a Turbosound badged MC2 T1000 powering the Impact 80s.
Over at Voodoo Lounge, which is a nightclub throughout the week, six TQ-310 and two TCS-215 form the main system, with two TQ-440SP and two TQ-440 for bar infills, plus two Impact 80 covering reception and the cloakroom. Main system amplification is from two Crown MA VZ 3600 and one C-Audio SR707, with QSC USA1310 powering the TQ-440s and one Impact amplifier for the Impact 80s.
Both installations are controlled by BSS Soundwebs, the zoning in each venue coming from one central area. Equalisation is carefully managed to ensure that the sound 'sweet spot' is in the centre of the dancefloor. "The idea is that you can still hear it to the side, but can talk," says Michel Harper.
"The quality of the music has to be clear, but not intrusive," he continues. "You're not listening to projected sound, you have sound all around you. One difference since the refurbishment is that we're flying our top end and the bass bins are hidden under the stage. Originally the Harpers building was a 1910 electric cinema and it has walls made mostly of lath and plaster, together with a lot of wood surfaces it soaks up the sound. With careful EQing of the system, it produces a great result."
But of course the acoustics can only be made the most of with high quality equipment, which Harper is happy to acknowledge: "I know what good sound is, I know what bad sound is and I'm a hard task master. I'm very cost conscious, but as long as what's promised is delivered, that's fine," he says. "Turbosound offers great value for money, which becomes more and more apparent over a period of time."
|