London’s iconic Arts Club – which was co-founded in 1863 by Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope and Lord Leighton – has received a new sound and video installation courtesy of Marquee.
Now under the management of restaurateurs Arjun and Jai Waney, and property entrepreneur Gary Landesberg, the venue has been refurbished in such a way as to retain its heritage and charm while serving as a hub of contemporary cultural life in the capital. A distinguished team of individuals involved in the revamped club includes designer David D’Almada (of Sagrada) and record producer Mark Ronson, who is serving as director of music.
With a strong focus on the performing arts, The Arts Club commissioned Marquee Installations to design and install the audio and video infrastructure and systems throughout the venue. In the Club Nouveau, located in the basement, the main room features a live stage and a movable DJ booth. The main floor is covered by four L-Acoustics 12XTi coaxial loudspeakers, with one 8XTi over the stage. These are supplemented by two L-Acoustics SB18i 18-inch dual bass-reflex tuned subs. The system is powered by L-Acoustics amplification, while an additional two 8XTis are used to cover the bar area. The system is configured to be able to switch between a live sound and surround sound.
The FOH console is a Yamaha LS9-16 which, due to its space-dictated position at the side of the stage, can also be controlled via an iPad from anywhere in the room.
On stage monitoring is provided by five L-Acoustics 112P active coaxial monitors, one of which is swivel-bracket mounted so that it can be used for foldback or the monitor mix position. Mics are a combination of Shure and Sennheiser wireless systems, stored alongside associated charging facilities in Marquee custom-built cases.
The DJ booth is mobile so that it can be used in two locations. Equipment in this area includes twin Pioneer CDJ 2000 CD players, twin Technics SL1210 Mk5 turntables and a Pioneer DJM 2000 pro mixer with LAN-hub. Foldback is via an L-Acoustics 112P active loudspeaker.
The club’s reception, bar, corridors and toilets all have high-end audio, with a combination of Amina flat panel loudspeakers and K-array ultra-slim subs built in. The background music is handled by a Biamp AudiaFLEX system using CobraNet.
The video spec, meanwhile, includes an HD IP camera for the stage that facilitates streaming to any chosen location. The Club Nouveau is also fitted out with a 3-metre screen, a Christie HD projector on a Future Automation drop mechanism, and DVD facilities. The projector system uses a Arcam technology for surround sound processing.
All programming and commissioning was completed by Marquee.
