The Block 22 nightclub in Hyderabad has been fitted out with L-Acoustics ARCS WiFo speakers, as well as – in their first installation in India – the company’s short-throw X Series cabinets.
The 500-capacity venue features a main space, two VIP areas and an elevated DJ booth. Showcasing a range of music styles, the club hosts regular live DJ sets and aims to schedule an increasing number of international performers.
Club owners Mudassar Muneer and Anand Yadav wanted to bring the very best elements of international clubbing, and a genuinely outstanding social hub, to Hyderabad’s HiTechCity. During their research, the pair had been impressed by the L-Acoustics sound systems they heard, especially in the blueFROG chain’s live music clubs in Mumbai and Pune, both of which were installed by Mumbai-based Munro Acoustics LLP. They asked Munro to design and install an L-Acoustics sound system at Block 22.
“The idea for Block 22 was to bring Ibiza and Vegas style chic to India, delivering a supreme aural and visual experience,” said Munro specialist consultant Kapil Thirwani. “We had already used L-Acoustics systems in the blueFROG venues, and Muneer and Yadav had also heard one of the company’s systems at the Tomorrowland festival in Belgium. We all agreed that L-Acoustics had the right products to fulfil the brief of having ‘the world’s best sound’ at Block22.”
“Our brief was to deliver impeccable sound and great acoustics,” said Thirwani. “We have a reputation for bringing out the best in venues and we knew L-Acoustics would be the right solution. Because the venue has a high ceiling, the generic solution would be to use line array. However, we wanted a relatively short throw with wide coverage so we chose the ARCS WiFo system. We were surprised how good the LF contour is when combined with the SB18 subs.”
The system features main clusters of three ARCS WiFo, one Wide and two Focus, either side, and two SB18 subs per side and four SB28 subs for the dance floor. Additionally, four of L-Acoustics’ new X12 cabinets, which have an ellipsoid directivity of 90° x 60°, are used for fills for the restricted-height mezzanine VIP area. The system is powered by LA4X and LA8 amplifier controllers.
“The biggest issue we faced was ensuring maximum noise isolation in the roof, as it is made of tin sheets. This was achieved by using secondary isolation, with the razor-sharp focus of the ARCS system also helping to contain the sound,” says Kapil. “The result is an astonishing venue with good acoustics and fantastic sound. It’s also the first ever L-Acoustics X12 installation in India.”
With people coming from hundreds of kilometres away – as far afield as Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai – to enjoy Block 22, clubbers seem to share that opinion.
“I was speechless when I heard the L-Acoustics system for the first time in the club,” says co-owner Mudasser Muneer. “It was an amazing experience. The sound is crystal clear and the performance is outright massive!”
Anand Yadav agrees. He added: “I love the mid-highs, they are impeccably clear and the lows provide that all-important ‘thump’ wherever you stand in the club. L-Acoustics systems are so powerful, they amaze me every time I hear them.”
