UK - Recently opened in Oxford, leisure venue Gallery Bouldering was determined its audio system would not be a mountain to climb, and so turned to Optimal Audio’s commercial audio ecosystem to meet its various needs.
Gallery Bouldering’s facilities include a 100m expanse of bouldering wall and a dedicated gym space plus a café. Favouring background music during the day, of differing intensities by zone, there was a requirement for the audio to support the big-screen action during major sporting events.
Optimal Audio’s UK distributor, Audio-Technica, designed and installed a system to be in tune with the space, whatever the day held. On some days, the four zones of Gallery Bouldering – the wall, the gym, the café and the reception area – would all function as distinct areas with their own vibe and background music to suit, during the flow of the day. At other times, the system supports a whole venue event with all areas working together.
Controlling the full venue system is an Optimal Audio Zone 8 audio controller with DSP and Optimal Audio’s simple and intuitive cross-platform WebApp. From here the venue staff access or set up presets and routines or make one-off changes across any or all of the zones. By automating the audio with automatic daily routines and standard presets, the staff in the busy venue have one less thing to think about.
Through the activity zones of the bouldering wall and the gym, Optimal Audio Up 6 two-way ceiling speakers provide warm and high-quality audio without taking any of the valuable wall space. In these zones a total of four Optimal Audio 5”, two-way, Cuboid 5 full-range loudspeakers are wall-mounted to provide support for the 18 units from the Up range.
Providing the extra energy for big sporting events, two Optimal Audio Cuboid 8 two-way, full-range 8” loudspeakers are positioned either side of the – usually tucked away – projection screen. The full system is powered by a total of three amplifiers, two of which are the four 250W SmartAmp30 and one 4 x 125W SmartAmp20, both featuring DSP to add extra speed and simplicity to the installation.
Gallery owner, Jamie Wakeham comments: “I am delighted with the sound quality of the Optimal Audio system. I’m hard to impress and this is genuinely good. The 100V line speakers have good sparkle and clarity, and the Cuboid 8s add the right amount of heft without ever getting in the way.
“It was straightforward to hide all the speakers too – they fit neatly at the top of the climbing wall structure, and the larger speakers are tucked behind it. I’m very happy with the overall appearance as well as audio quality.”
The ability to zone the audio in Gallery Bouldering was useful, as the venue is used in a different way by each customer, particularly during the day. For those climbing the bouldering wall and exercising in the gym, the tempo of audio output is energetic, pushing customers to reach their goals. In the café however, the pace is more relaxed to create a pleasant space.
