Recent installations in three high-profile London venues have seen the Sound Division Group making extensive use of Martin Audio ceiling loudspeakers.

Featuring a 6.5-inch (165mm) bass driver and a 0.8-inch (19mm) dome tweeter, the circular recessed C6.8T and C8.1T  speakers have achieved wide adoption since their launch in view of their wide (150°) dispersion, high SPL and suitability for low-ceilinged venues.

In two of the venues – Circus Bar & Restaurant in Covent Garden and Aqua Nueva at Oxford Circus – these have been retrofitted into an existing Martin Audio technical infrastructure as part of major revamps carried out by the company.

Circus was first fitted out with Martin Audio AQ architectural speakers by Sound Division in early 2010. The latest phase brings greater control to the bar/restaurant areas with the addition of four C6.8T speakers in each zone, with a further three distributed in the rear bar lounge. Another C6.8T can be found under the atrium in the front dining area, while a recessed C4.8T relays music in the washrooms. Meanwhile, the main performance area continues to operate with the AQ8s originally installed.

‘We wanted to move to a more discreet speaker, create more zones and reduce the distance between each customer and the nearest speaker,’ says Circus Bar & Restaurant owner, Adam Davies. ‘We could then reduce the noise pollution to our neighbours without compromising the venue’s sound quality. Sound Division came up with the solution to do this.

‘We are extremely happy with the result. The extra speakers perform remarkably well for ceiling speakers and the general sound quality for the whole venue has improved. We have eliminated any dead spots, not compromised our volume and kept our neighbours happy.’

‘With their clarity, Martin Audio C6.8Ts were the perfect solution for the venue’s problems,’ says Sound Division MD, David Graham. ‘At the same time we redeployed the existing amplifiers [Martin Audio MA1.3s and MA900] and re-equalised the system in Soundweb.’

With its large footprint, and impressive views from the fifth floor balconies in London’s West End, the Aqua Restaurant Group – with sites ranging from Hong Kong and Beijing to London’s Shard – has refurbished and refocused its Spanish restaurant, Aqua Nueva, into a traditional dining room, courtesy of interior specialist, Rob Angell Design International. In so doing it has extended its relationship with Martin Audio and Sound Division.

Several C6.8T and C8.1T ceiling speakers were installed in the dining rooms when the venue opened around five years ago and these have been reused and extended. A covered walkway now links the main central bar and Japanese Kyoto restaurant with the Spanish Nueva, where there are also two private dining rooms.

The bar itself features 10 x Martin Audio C8.1T ceiling speakers and Sound Division has provided supplementary cabling should additional bass support be required in the bar. The new Spanish dining room sees five Martin Audio C6.8T flush speakers (in custom matching finish with further C6.8Ts in each of the private dining rooms – along with the washrooms.

At the same time, Sound Division has upgraded the sound management system for both restaurants to a pair of networked Soundweb London Blu100 DSP routers, containing the gain structure.

With its all-day trading the operation veers between background music (customer profiled and played out through 8Track Music Solutions servers) and DJ entertainment.

‘The discreet ceiling speaker in the restaurant perfectly meets our requirements for background music without intruding on the design aesthetic, while the intelligent reworking of the existing Martin Audio system ensures that we have a more powerful option for private events, and on DJ nights,’ says Hugh Wright, Aqua Restaurant Group Communications Manager.

Meanwhile, the growing chain of Birley Sandwiches, recently took on a prestigious site in London’s historic financial district – on the piazza behind the commercial skyscraper, 20 Fenchurch Street (also known as the ‘walkie talkie’ in view of its shape).

Set on two floors overlooking the piazza, Sound Division installed a background music system on the ground floor sandwich bar and similar upstairs in the lounge bar. Once again David Graham’s company chose Martin Audio C6.8T – detailing four for the downstairs area and six for the floor above.

‘We have enjoyed considerable success, both with Martin Audio’s AQ series but particularly with this Ceiling series, which are easy to fit and provide smooth, articulate speech and punchy music,’ Graham  says. ‘They have long proved popular with our London-based customers and their chic clientele.’