US restaurateurs Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry believe that are as discerning about the sound in their pub projects as the décor and service. Recently, they installed Genelec loud speakers in The Dead Rabbit when they expanded the pub in New York’s Financial District neighbourhood.
As they have in the past, Canal Sound & Light helped The Dead Rabbit enhance its sound to match its bigger space, with seven new Genelec 4020B and five 4030B active loudspeakers (designed specifically for challenging commercial installations) installed on the expanded main floor, and a further six 4020B loudspeakers on the new second floor.
‘Sean and Jack are incredibly particular about the sound in their restaurants,’ observes Jeffrey Kwan, owner of Canal Sound & Light, one of the major suppliers of A/V systems for New York City restaurants and live event spaces. ‘We had installed Genelec 8020A and 8030A speakers in the original Dead Rabbit, and they sounded great. But the bar was so successful it was constantly packed, so they had to expand, breaking into the space next door and also going up. So, we had to increase the sound for the pub, as well... Sean and Jack wanted Genelec.’
Kwan says Genelec’s 4020B and 4030B installation versions, which share their design with the Genelec 8000 Series monitors, add features such as tamper-proof Phoenix connectors. Their directivity allows the system to be easily installed in many types of acoustic environments, providing outstanding sound coverage. ‘As an active loudspeaker, it contains drivers, power amplifiers, and active crossover filters, so there’s no need for amp racks to take up space,’ he explains. ‘That’s a critical consideration in a place like downtown Manhattan.’
Kwan notes that the newly expanded Dead Rabbit hosts live music – Irish bands set up near the front of the pub on Sundays, playing traditional Irish music through a pair of 4030Bs he installed there for that application, while a DJ blasts away at night in the back of the bar, spinning through three 4030Bs. But the sound level is always just right everywhere, such as the two ‘cubby snug’ booths that can seat up to eight patrons and that have their own Genelec 8020As to cover them.
‘The Genelecs can handle it all, from background music to live sound, and always sound great and never overpowering,’ says Kwan. ‘They’re one of the top choices when it comes to a restaurant in Manhattan.’
