Hi-Fi Performance at the Trafalgar

Introduction

It’s not often a new pub opens in Chelsea.  Despite the idea that wine bars might come and go as quickly as coffee shops, a new pub hasn’t opened on the King’s Road for over 100 years.

The Three Cheers Pub Co., who collectively own 10 bars across London, focus on the upper end of the market with curated wine lists, high quality dining options and beautiful interiors.  Some of the venues also have a small number of boutique bedrooms available, but it’s only the Trafalgar and its sibling the Bedford, in Balham, that also operate a live entertainment venue.

The Bedford in Balham, south London, has a well established reputation for attracting the cream of British comedy acts such as Romesh Ranganathan, Sara Pascoe, James Acaster, Aisling Bea, Katherine Ryan, Harry Hill to name but a few, and the Trafalgar is set to follow in its footsteps boasting the subterranean Havannah Room.

Hire the Audio Architects

With a summer of World Cup and Wimbledon sport on offer, there was a lot riding on the fitout for the venue.

For the audio system, owner Tom Peake brought in David Gammon the Director of Audio Architect. David, known for high-end installations, specified a system built around NST Audio’s DM88 processor to deliver both exceptional sound quality and day-to-day simplicity.

David explains “I was introduced to the DM88 in particular after Waring [Hayes – NST’s Technical Brand manager] invited me to the factory for some training on this amazing processor.”

David tested the DM88 extensively in his studio using high-resolution DSD files and demanding cinema-style tracks. The processor’s transparency and musicality convinced him it was the right choice, proving it could deliver true hi-fi performance across all listening levels.

The entire venue is processed by a single DM88. Upstairs, nine LD Systems 28A G3 active speakers with under-seating LD Systems bandpass subs provide high-quality coverage while respecting neighbouring residents.

“The aim is for a ‘hi-fi’ sound that is impressing with quality over quantity.  To achieve this, we needed the best sounding processor, and in my view that’s a DM88.”

 

There are fill speakers further into the bar, and these have be time aligned to the projector so that during sports coverage, the sound is focussed on the screen.

Dave continues “We also have a consideration for the luxury apartments that are above this venue and so levels must be kept under control later in the evening.  With the system therefore being forced to operate at a significantly lower volume, we didn’t want to lose the resolution of the audio when things have to be turned down.”

“Given the DM88’s amazing noise performance, running it at even 40dB below full output in no way compromises the sound quality.  It performs beautifully whether running very quietly or at high levels.”

Going Underground

As mentioned in the introduction, the Trafalgar is more than just a high-class bar and restaurant.  Downstairs below ground level there’s the Havannah Room, an intimate live venue with a capacity of 100 – perfect for “unplugged” music performances and comedy gigs.

In the basement, LD Systems 8” active speakers are coupled to an ICOA PRO custom-optimised 21″ subwoofer.  The fully active system processed and routed via the DM88, with provision for a DJ to easily connect, as well as simple stage connections.  Using Venue Remotes to control the system during regular hours has meant there isn’t even a need for a mixer in the venue during daytime.

Staying in Control

The entire system (upstairs and downstairs) also caters for Bluetooth audio, the TV/projector sound, and even a line-in for the kitchen staff to play music in the kitchens, taken care of in the single processor.

Let’s bring in Richard Hunt, the Production manager at the Bedford, who is now also responsible for the ongoing running of the Trafalgar, for his take on the system.

“The use of a touchscreen VR2 in the bar upstairs has made the control of the system virtually fool proof for staff with no training beyond pointing it out to them on the wall!” he jokes.

“They can easily set levels for the restaurant area relative to the main bar, choose sources (including audio from downstairs on gig nights) and there’s a hidden extra that makes my life so much simpler – a system reset every morning at 9:25am!”.  This is achieved by a timed preset recall triggered by the VR2 itself that sets things back to a standard default for routing and levels each morning, meaning the staff don’t have to worry about it.

There is also a VR1 installed in the Havannah Room by the stage for management of both audio routing and control over the main/sub levels depending on the application.

“When it’s a spoken word gig, such as a comedy night,” Richard explains, “we would be dropping the sub level by quite a lot to keep the audio nice and clear without just turning things up more.  We can go from a delicate acoustic set to full-band energy, or switch instantly to sports coverage — all while keeping the audio quality consistently high.”

Last word goes to Dave:
“The DM88 has become my go-to for any install that needs flexibility, easy control, and exceptional audio performance.  It’s so adaptable and capable that, used in conjunction with the Venue Remotes, it’s perfect in many applications.  Plus, D-Net [our software platform, for PC, Mac and iPad] is easy to pick up and yet still very powerful; even if I am not using it every day, I can get straight back into it quickly and I really appreciate that.”

Photo credits:
*Richard Hunt
**Charlotte Cumming Photography