The venue is inside The Grain Market, a neoclassical structure which dates back to 1820
Italy - Opened in October last year, Cristó is a new events space, restaurant and cocktail bar in the north Italian city of Brescia. Owned and run by Gino Liguori and Alda Civelli, Cristó is an adaptable space, which, depending on the requirements of an event, can be configured to cater for 200-500 guests at any one time. Located in the heart of Brescia, in Piazzale Arnaldo, the venue is inside The Grain Market, a majestic neoclassical structure which dates back to 1820.
Divided between two levels, Cristó is a flexible events space which meets a variety of customer needs, whilst retaining a very particular identity. Wood, iron and concrete feature in an interior that comprises a unique alchemy of art, antiques, recycled materials and carefully designed furnishings.
Having enjoyed more than 20 years’ experience in the nightclub and hospitality sector, Liguori and Civelli were acutely aware that the quality of its sound system is central to the success of any events venue which aspires to accommodate a wide range of functions. The Cristó team chose Pioneer Pro Audio to meet the demanding needs of this multi-faceted space, engaging solutions provider Maste Eventi to install the system.
Maurizio Prestileo of Maste Eventi comments: “The Cristó team’s aim was to install a high quality system with excellent diffusion in all areas. It was important that it should not create any external disturbance, given the venue’s city centre location. The space was challenging as a result of numerous physical factors, including the thickness of internal and perimeter walls, high and pitched ceilings and the wide variety of surfaces contained within different areas.
“We worked closely with the Pioneer Pro Audio team to determine the best way forward and opted for a diffusion system consisting of XY-81 speakers and XY-115S subs.”
In total, 12 x XY-81 and 4 x XY115S, driven by Powersoft Quattrocanali amplification, were used throughout the venue to ensure complete coverage. Good speaker-positioning was crucial and careful calibration was necessary to perfectly align the system and adapt it to the acoustic challenges imposed by the spaces, including the elimination of delays.
Maurizio Prestileo continues: “The reaction to the system has been excellent. The audio is contained within the required spaces, without creating any outside disturbance, offering a warm, clear, enveloping, yet powerful sound. What is striking is the versatility of the XY-81s. They are perfect for the lounge and restaurant context but when used with the XY-115S subs, adapt effectively for DJ sets in a club-style setting. As always, it was a pleasure to work with Pioneer Pro Audio.
“They paid close attention to the system design and were always available to assist us with any issues that arose. Thanks to the Pioneer Pro Audio team we improved our know-how in terms of optimising the future management of multi-room installations.”
(Jim Evans)

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