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High-end bar · Custom finishes · FBS control system
The operator called FBS with an unusual brief: build a sound system worthy of a venue concept the region had never seen, but make the speakers disappear into the design language. We brought the sound platform and worked with the client on finish choices. Some of the install coaxials went pink. Others went gold. The dual 18 subs stayed black. The room ended up with a complete BASSBOSS rig that no two other rooms in the country have, programmed on an FBS-built control network the bartender runs from a phone.
The brief
World music and electronic programming. Acrobats and Cirque-du-Soleil-style production. A venue concept the operator wanted to set the standard in the region for, not just open another club. He approached us with the design language already in motion: gold leaf, pink upholstery, custom millwork. The sound system had to live inside that, not on top of it. The previous installer's recommendation had been catalog-default black cabinets in standard positions. Not the right answer for this room.
The build
| Role | Product | Qty | Why this cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dance floor subs | Dual 18 production subwoofers | 3 cabinets | Standard black. The operator wanted the bass to feel structural, not visible. Three cabinets where most rooms this size would spec eight smaller boxes. The owner described one set tearing a hanging fixture loose during commissioning. |
| Coaxial install loudspeakers | 12-inch coaxial install variants | 8 cabinets | Coaxial design means a single image at the listening position, no crossover dip. We consulted with the client on custom finishes; the cabinets ended up pink (main floor) and gold (VIP area) to match the decor. Same acoustic performance, custom paint applied by the client per our guidance. |
| Network rack amplification | Ashly NXP8004 4-channel network amps | 2 amps | One amp drives 4 install coaxials (lows + highs across 2 cabinets). Eight cabinets, two amps. Centralized rack location, network monitoring, no amplification in the room. |
| FBS-programmed control system | Symetrix Radius MX-12x8 + Dante expansion | 1 main + wireless control surfaces | 12 inputs, 8 outputs, infinitely expandable via Dante. We programmed the room so the bartender controls volume, source switching, and zone routing from any iPhone, iPad, or laptop on the network. Wireless plus hardwired backup. Multi-zone (main floor, VIP, restrooms). |
| Source matrix | 2 dedicated media player inputs + DJ + band lines | 4 active inputs | Programmed switching between DJ, live band, and 2 streaming players (Spotify, hard drive, anything on the network). One control surface flips the room from DJ night to live night to background. |
The result
The operator: "I was impressed. The high sound source comes from the same direction as your low to mid frequency source. It is a really kind of strange experience. There is no weak spots anywhere in the venue. Flat, consistent across the board. To get the same amount of bass, we would have had to have three double-18s, and we are doing it with three single boxes. I literally took out a hanging dolly during commissioning and it shook off the platform. The wall was pretty much coming apart that day."
In their own words
From the interview
Andrew
Owner
I was impressed. I am used to having a horn system where the audiophile guys want really crystal clear horns, but they don't have any punch. The diamonds are really awesome being coaxial. The fact that the high sound source comes from the same direction as your low and mid frequency source. It is a really kind of strange experience. I can only pick out, okay, there is a dip between the horn and the woofer, but this is just one image. Having a little bit of these spread out across the venue, there are no weak spots anywhere where the sound is different or drops down. It is just very flat, very consistent across the board. I am really impressed. Very impressed. I walked in here today and I was like, wow, it sounds so cool. So powerful, so clean, clear. Everything you want in a sound system. And these subwoofers kick. To get the same amount, you would normally have to have three double 18s in a venue this size, or about eight smaller boxes. And we are doing it with three. Not just getting by with three. We took out a hanging dolly up here during commissioning and it shook off the platform. The wall was pretty much coming apart that day. That was crazy. That was awesome. I am really starting to take my sound career seriously, but I have been in this for 20 years at this point. The dynamic range, the clarity, the quality you are getting is just phenomenal. And for being such small speakers, it blends into the decor and then you get that beautiful sound and everything.
Inside the room
Watch the install
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