Begun in 1997 to nurture world-class drivers, ARTA (Autobacs Racing Team Aguri) is the product of a collaboration between racing driver Aguri Suzuki and Japanese car parts manufacturer Autobacs Seven. Aside from its racing endeavours, the ARTA brand covers custom cars, luxury watches and apparel. The new ARTA Mechanics and Inspirations venue – a former warehouse in Tokyo’s Shin-Kiba area – is a showcase for ARTA’s thinking and branding.
Reflecting ARTA’s values, the venue has Genelec 4000 Series loudspeakers installed throughout. ‘At ARTA Mechanics & Inspirations we believe in “things of value”, says Autobacs Seven Business Sales Manager Naoto Oyama. ‘We have created a worldview of ARTA’s custom cars, apparel, and even the sounds that have been carefully crafted.’
Oyama believes that the industrial environment is the ideal setting for the raw but cool image of motorsports. The loudspeaker system is a significant element in its ambience.
‘As the name suggests, we are here to inspire our customers, and the atmosphere of the space plays a crucial role in that,’ Oyama says. ‘We consider sound as one of the most important tools for creating atmosphere, so a high-quality audio system was very important for us. Genelec fulfilled all our criteria, namely premium quality audio, elegant design, ease of installation and ease of use.’
The venue uses six compact 4020 loudspeakers to deliver a variety of specially curated playlists to match the mood of the day or particular event. Genelec’s 4000 Series models are equipped with an ISS power-saving function that automatically detects the absence of an audio signal – putting the loudspeaker into ‘sleep mode’ accordingly – making them extremely easy to operate and more economic to run. Installation was straightforward, thanks to Genelec’s active design, which means that there are no external amplifiers to house and no extra cabling. The wide variety of mounting accessories also made it easy to position the loudspeakers for optimal performance.
‘What I especially notice when playing background music is that you can hear the sound perfectly no matter where you are in the store – coverage is perfectly consistent throughout,’ Oyama says. ‘It never interferes with communication in the store, such as conversations with customers, which is crucial in creating a comfortable space. The audio remains clear, detailed and perfectly audible, but it never impinges on conversation. This may seem like an obvious point, but I think it’s amazing.’
Oyama is also won over by Genelec’s Nordic design and the loudspeakers’ compact dimensions. ‘The design matches really well with the industrial feel of the store – and I like the fact that the loudspeakers are made of recycled aluminium, that feels like a really good fit for us in motorsports. I’m also impressed with the sound we achieve from such compact boxes – collectively they fill the space with sound and perfectly reproduce the atmosphere of the racetrack.
‘We hope that customers can gather here and enjoy and be inspired by everything we have created around motorsports,’ Oyama adds. ‘I think we’ve achieved that.’
More: www.genelec.com
