Alcons: Ideal Solution
Stockholm’s Berns Salonger installs Alcons Audio sound reinforcement systems all over the place.
An iconic landmark in the centre of the Swedish capital Stockholm, the 120 year old Berns Salonger restaurant and entertainment venue, has been brought right up to date by the installation of three separate Alcons Audio sound reinforcement systems.
The exclusive Club 2.35:1 is located in the Berns Salonger basement and features three vast 37m and eight 12m video screens discreetly hidden behind black glass, providing a unique visual experience for guests. A high quality audio system was required to match the cutting edge visuals, so local audio specialists Electrosound chose a 7.1+1 surround Alcons system.
The system comprises four Alcons VR12 for the front left/right arrays, with eight VR8 for the surround and a further four VR12 covering the dance floor and surround rear. The main sub cluster is formed in a Bessel-array and comprises nine Alcons CRMS 1 x 15” cabinets, built into the ceiling and facing down, with two BF362 and two BF302 subs helping to maintain the classic ‘deep bass’ club vibe. A pair of VR8 serve as DJ nearfill monitors.
Amplification is primarily by Alcons ALC2 units with SDP speaker processing, while a TiMax matrix feeds the audio to the surround speakers.
“They wanted a club environment with a hi-fi surround system, which was also usable for video surround sound,” says Håkan ‘Brollan’ Söderström, Electrosound’s managing director of sound engineering. A major challenge of the installation was the club’s owners insisting that the audio system should not be seen, hence the cluster of subs in the ceiling.
“It was a difficult installation which involved many long discussions with the architects and designers,” says Brollan. “Establishing exact speaker positions which were acoustically precise, but which also kept the visual designers happy took a considerable time. But with the quality of the Alcons sound and TiMax providing some very interesting automated surround effects, the club owners are very happy. We regularly hear about how good people think it sounds. A frequent comment is that people like the fact that they can talk to each other even if it’s a loud, ‘banging’ club evening.”
Thanks to the success of the Club 2.35:1 installation, Electrosound has progressively been commissioned to provide Alcons audio systems in four further areas of Berns Salonger.
Foremost is the venue’s architecturally stunning main live music space, which has seen the system produced by another manufacturer replaced with eight Alcons LR16 per side, complemented by four BF362 dual 18” subs. “The main live music space of Berns is a ballroom with very difficult acoustics,” says Brollan. “Using an extremely precise audio system like the LR16 is a major aid to overcoming the acoustic challenges, providing the audience with as a good concert experience as possible.”
The combination of low-profile appearance and high audio quality of the Alcons system is perfect for a space where visitors can enjoy the sumptuous décor of the surroundings without the distraction of large speaker hangs, while benefitting from the superb sound reproduction of the entertainment on offer. Meanwhile, in the Berns Asia restaurant, diners can enjoy the soothing sounds of live jazz and soul, with DJs in between. Here twelve VR8 plus BF181/BF362 subs provide subtle sound reinforcement, while the adjacent Terrace Bar features twelve VR8 with BF181 subs.
“Audio quality is very important in all three venues and Alcons loudspeakers not only deliver that quality, but they are versatile enough to cope with a very wide range of music styles,” says Brollan.
“I was not required to demonstrate any of the Alcons speakers to the venue owners before specifying them for these projects. I was trusted to supply the best possible systems and I knew Alcons was the ideal solution. That has been proved beyond doubt in all five locations at Berns Salonger.”
