Set within the walls of the old Gare du Sud railway station in Nice, the Mediterraneo restaurant occupies a long hall with high, vaulted ceilings and iron arches. The installation of its audio system has seen KGear loudspeakers at the centre of the story. Provided by French distributor AEITech, the design and integration of the system fell to local integrator, EnvySoul. Initially, it was used only for background audio.

‘Having deployed KGear products on previous projects, we knew the GH4 as a small and versatile solution,’ explains Rudy Rodenas from Envy Soul. ‘The power and audio quality are fantastic, and the form factor makes for seamless integration. The ability to integrate the loudspeakers in pairs for a stereo configuration was also ideal.’

During the initial phase of its installation, the audio system took a classic restaurant-style left-right stereo configuration to provide subtle background audio throughout the space.

Soon after, the venue began holding cultural and music events using the original system, and found, the system design no longer appropriate. Acousticians, Cf Audio, stepped in, to assess and reconfigure. ‘With the evolution of the events taking place at Mediterraneo, I visited the site to study the current acoustic situation and design a system that would better serve the multi-functional use of the venue,’ says Cf Audio Sound Designer, Claudio Fabiani. ‘The materials were all there, so it was a case of reworking the audio design to fit the new scope.’

The updated brief required a stage and dancefloor audio system and eliminating the background audio configuration. Cf Audio used six GH4 units in an array cluster, with three GH18 subwoofers floor-stacked for low-frequency reinforcement. Four GH4 delays in the bar area provide consistent coverage, with two more used as front fill. Finally, three units are installed in the DJ booth. The system is powered by KGear’s own GA series amplifiers.

‘To contain the audio within the dancefloor space, we installed 300mm-thick acoustic reinforcements to the walls,’ Fabiani says. ‘This was an important addition as it helps contain the energy and avoid sound pollution to the surrounding built-up residential area.’

With the new configuration of the existing KGear system, Mediterraneano can reopen for the summer season with a full calendar of events and DJ nights. ‘GH4 is a versatile option and allows us to enjoy K-array technology at an accessible price,’ Rodenas says. ‘Working with the acoustic designers at Cf Audio we were able to plan and deploy a system that can deliver the party experience without causing noise complaints, all whilst using existing products, a testament to the flexibility of the GH series.’

‘I am entirely satisfied with K-array’s products in every instance,’ Fabiani adds. ‘The open space and high ceilings at Mediterraneo posed several challenges from an audio design point of view, but through careful configuration of KGear’s flexible GH4s the venue can welcome more visitors this season.’

More: www.k-array.com