Community D-Series loudspeakers have been installed in an upscale New York city restaurant to meet the design goals of clarity and consistent sound level. Designed by architect Niels Guldager of New York interior design firm Studio CMP, Vitae is located near Grand Central Terminal in NYC’s Midtown East neighbourhood, and features a ‘New American’ menu. The restaurant draws on the history of Midtown while bearing a strong contemporary identity that includes sound and acoustics as important design elements.
Guldager said: “Bad sound can ruin an otherwise perfect restaurant environment. I want the right background music level and clarity so people can hear the music but still hold a conversation. And clarity is key in getting sound into the ‘sweet spot’ as a design element.”
Guldager worked with contractor David Schwartz of Essential Communications in East Hanover, NJ, to design the sound system for Vitae. “The restaurant’s design didn’t always allow us to place the loudspeakers in the best locations for coverage,” said Schwartz. “And the restaurant has several different ceiling heights.”
After considering these challenges, Schwartz chose Community’s new D-Series ceiling loudspeakers. The models’ wide, smooth dispersion helped him get good coverage throughout the restaurant. In addition, being able to different-sized speakers with uniform voicing helped to achieve consistent sound level and clarity in the different ceiling heights. Schwartz chose D-Series 6in 8 and 10-inch models and was able to achieve “good blending despite the three different models of loudspeaker,” he said. The system also has zones for music adjustment and source selection. This allows a choice of level and music style for private parties in spaces such as the mezzanine.
With its attractive modern appearance, excellent food and great sound, Vitae continues to receive excellent reviews from publications including the New York Post, the Wall Street Journal and Virtual Gourmet – and from patrons who post online comments like “Why did I not find this place earlier?”
www.communitypro.com
www.studio-cmp.com
www.makeasoundinvestment.com
