We were approached by Lance Burrows, General Manager of Hospitality – Howard Smith Wharves (HSW). With a lengthy career managing a range of international hotel and dining establishments, Lance was focused on delivering an exceptional experience for patrons of Mr Percival’s. Having successfully worked together with us on other HSW venues, we were commissioned by HSW to design and install an audio system that could meet the unique needs of this venue.

Integral to the success of this project was our ability to deliver a flexible audio system that allowed the venue to seamlessly transition from casual bar and dining experience during the day, to an intimate yet vibrant club at night.

To create this atmosphere within the venue, our design centred on eight Martin Audio Coaxial speakers, complementing the octagonal shape of the building. With their Coaxial Differential Dispersion (CDD) technology, the CDD8’s provide consistent audio coverage throughout the venue. We enhanced the system with a pair of Martin Audio X210’s dual ten-inch subwoofers. These balance out the CDD8’s with low-end frequency extension, so whether the venue requires quiet background music or a loud and lively DJ, the system will provide a full range of clear and concise sound.

For the external decks of the venue, we used the QSC AD-S8T speakers from the Acoustic Design range which are separately zoned for control. The IP44 design makes them capable of handling all outdoor weather conditions.

With the entire HSW site spanning over 3.5 hectares, our system design provided a cost-effective solution for the client. This was achieved through the combination of a central QSC Q-SYS and Crestron processors with multiple Crestron touch screens throughout the site. Deploying networked QSC Q Series Networked Amplifiers greatly reduced the cabling requirements and allowed full monitoring of the system. This central processing platform provides the benefit of full routing of sources across site as well as a central control of any venue. Our tailored Q-SYS and Crestron programming enabled advanced scheduling, with sound levels and sources to be automatically adjusted at different times of the day.

Simple-to-use interfaces allow staff to adjust all the required controls from any of the touch screens.

Working within such a unique setting naturally came with some challenges. Navigating an over-water environment, restrictions on sound levels due to Liquor Licensing Requirements, as well as multiple new venue builds on site were just some of the unique aspects of this project, that our team thrived on solving in creative and cost-effective ways for the client.