The Riff in Helsinki, the newest venue in the city centre’s rock bar scene, has installed a Genelec sound system featuring 4000 Series loudspeakers to provide high SPL performance and blend in with the aesthetics of the bar.
Co-owned by Jussi69 of The 69 Eyes, one of Finland’s best known rock bands, the venue regularly hosts bands, so special consideration was given to the choice of audio system and the type of loudspeakers specified.
“I have toured excessively and visited rock clubs from Osaka to Texas and back,” said Jussi69. “This experience means I know what makes a rock bar work. Owning this bar has been my longtime dream, and I planned this for quite some time with my colleagues, Veikka and Oskari. We found the perfect location in the heart of Helsinki where you can hear the best sounds in the city, played loud and clear through Genelec speakers.“
Special consideration was given to the sound system, which would need to provide background music during the day, and then play at higher volumes without losing clarity during busy night-times.
Co-owner Oskari Kovalainen commented: “As a management team we’ve all had experience of visiting and enjoying a wide variety of rock bars. For obvious reasons music plays a great part in the offering of this type of bar. One of the drawbacks with many of these places is at times the punters like the music loud and sometimes this increase in volume comes at the sacrifice of sound reproduction quality. We definitely didn’t want to go down that route. With the Genelec system we have a system that is crystal clear at all sound levels, whether chilling out during the daytime, or cutting through the noisy evening crowd. This means we have managed to attract a mature, discerning, and loyal customer base that appreciates good music in great surroundings.”
The audio system in the Riff has two separate audio zones, one for the main bar and another for the Hate Lounge, both of which are individually controlled from a DJ mixing desk, with sources including CDs and a Mood Media system located behind the bar. Genelec 4040 speakers in black to match the décor, are installed throughout the main bar, with a pair also installed in the Hate Lounge. The integral set of dip switched on each speaker speakers were used to compensate for any room environment effects on audio quality.
