Renowned Dutch pastry chef and bread specialist Eric van Otten recently established a new concept for his patisserie that involves multiple eating zones. Creating the atmospheres for the separate spaces required the help of Powersoft’s Dynamic Music Distribution (DMD) system.
Unlike many of the pastry shops on the streets of Amsterdam, Van Otten offers guests the choice of an outdoor patio, an ice cream parlour and various private spaces, each accompanied by sound that enhances their dining experience. Powersoft’s DMD allows loudspeakers to receive the optimum power for their respective ‘zones’.
Dutch professional audio distributor Mennegat had been approached by Eric Van Otten with a brief to equip space for high quality music, tailoring the guests’ experience to where they sit in the venue.
‘With DMD, it’s easy to divide a space into several zones – every channel of a Mezzo amplifier can be redirected to a music zone, which can be controlled individually,’ says Mennegat Commercial Mirector, Ferdi van den Berg. ‘This particular interface is made up of two WM Touch panels, making it more user friendly than you’d expect. The first WM Touch is controlling the shop and restaurant, the other manages the outside patio area.’
Alongside WM Touch and Mezzo amps, the install comprises 14 Sonance Professional Series PS-S63T surface-mount loudspeakers and a Biamp internet radio system. Non-technical employees are able to operate the WM Touch panel, which facilitates a change of programme from day into the evening.
Together with the WM Touch, the system is also simple to deploy by system integrators, because the preparation of the system can be made offsite with a pre-configured user interface. Van den Berg recommends DMD because of its combination of low-cost/investment and a user experience: ‘This system can be installed and fully operational in just one day, which is highly advantageous for us – the Mezzo amplifier platform provides amazing reliability, durability and is cost-effective overall,’ he says.
Currently, the market alternative to DMD is a traditional matrix system/DSP, which needs to be accompanied by a four-channel amplifier to provide all spaces with an independent music channel. With DMD, two competitively priced Mezzo amplifiers can be used to, in this instance, provide enough power to serve the Sonance speakers at 30W/100V together with two WM Touch screens.
‘This translates into serious savings in terms of time and money when opting for Powersoft’s DMD,’ continues van den Berg. ‘That’s the reason I went for this innovative solution and why I would always recommend it to other distributors, system integrators and end users in the retail/hospitality sector.’
‘The Powersoft team are knowledgeable and were extremely reliable throughout the project; that’s one of the many reasons why I would always recommend them to others in the industry,’ he adds.
Francesco Fanicchi, Powersoft’s Corporate & Marketing Communication Manager, believes this type of application showcases the potential of Dynamic Music Distribution. ‘DMD’s results are greater than the sum of its parts – its true potential is not always easily understood upon first hearing of it,’ he says. ‘We are so pleased that respected SIs and end-users are continuing to understand just how powerful and effective this audio solution is, using such a simple and ergonomic interface.’
Eric van Otten, owner, patissier and bread specialist at Van Otten, is elated with the results of this install, stating that the subtle audio and ‘pleasant murmurings’ of the guests creates a cosy atmosphere at the eatery: ‘I’m really surprised at the end result and did not expect this audio installation to be as impressive as it is. The music provides privacy, so our guests can talk freely with each other. Empty spaces in the restaurant have been filled with warm, welcoming sounds. Besides this, we can select music that will contribute to the overall experience.’
