Berlin Bar Opts for Studio-Grade Sound Quality from Genelec
Café Luzia in the busy Kreuzberg district of Berlin has just installed a state-of-the-art Genelec sound system to enhance the music experience of what is a relaxed café by day and trendy lounge bar by night.
Weekend DJ spots provide a distinctly electronic edge to the warm, candlelit atmosphere, attracting a crowd who expect nothing less than excellent audio. The owner decided that the time was right to invest in a studio-quality sound solution in order to keep pace with customer expectations and maintain his reputation as one of Berlin’s coolest café bars. He turned to Studio SPC, an acoustic design studio in the heart of Berlin, who instantly recommended Genelec as the obvious answer to his requirements.
“As soon as the client told me that he specifically wanted studio-grade sound quality in his bar, I recommended Genelec straight away,” said Kenan Jan Ibar, owner and founder of Studio SPC. “I come from a studio background myself and love working with Genelecs, so I’m always pleased when I get an opportunity to take them out of the studio and put them in front of a wider audience.”
Ibar specified five 8050B large format active studio monitors supplemented by a 7071A subwoofer. The 8050s are the largest and most powerful monitors in the classic Genelec studio monitor range and deliver a class-leading balance of extraordinary SPL output, expansive dynamic range and an intensely detailed, transparent performance.
“I decided on Genelec for a number of reasons,” explained Ibar. “Apart from being my personal favourite, they are very easy to operate – this is so important for sound installations in public places where you can pretty much guarantee that the operators will have had little or no audio training. Other than sound quality, my number one priority is plug-and-play operation coupled with reliability. As a long-time Genelec user, I know that Genelecs won’t disappoint over time. They are extremely robust and suitable for many hours of playback, and the automatic standby mode is a real winner for environments like these where operators are constantly forgetting to turn them off when not in use. The fact that they are active is also a big bonus as it eliminates the need for amplifiers and messy and/or complex wiring, so it saves space and avoids confusion for venue owners and operators.”
Ibar also appreciates the number of mounting options available which give him a lot of freedom in installation terms. “Genelec have definitely thought beyond the studio when it comes to mounting options and accessories,” he noted. “It makes the speakers much easier to specify in commercial installations as a result. For example, in my view, one of the most important and effective solutions for PA installations in public places is decoupling the speakers from physical entities such as ceilings or walls. The aim is to minimise transition noise to neighbouring areas and other public areas next door. I always recommend my clients to have a decoupled system. In most cases I modify a Genelec speaker mount using a special spring and sylomer anti-vibration mounting system, which is really effective and looks pretty cool too! Café Luzia is a good example of this.”
Finally, Ibar is a fan of the signature rounded design of modern Genelec monitors. “It works both aesthetically for commercial AV installations as they are very easy on the eye and look great in any environment, as well as acoustically. The Café Luzia installation looks good and sounds wonderful. Everyone is pleased with the results, from the owners to the café manager to the weekend DJs and the regular guests. And that makes me happy!”
