HPI Sound system takes Levels nightclub to new level

Popular night club "Levels" in Bangkok had a classic problem: sound spilling into the local neighbourhood and very little intelligibility in their bespoke architectural performance space.

Wisely, the management consulted Thai company Fuzion. The call was made to evaluate the situation and design a solution that would solve the audio issues while not intruding on the visual aspects of the architecture.

Fuzion's Ben Walters and team measured the space for RT-60 (Reverb Time) and other behavioural characters with the result being a sound guy's nightmare. The type and placement of the existing speaker system in such a space was also a problem amplifier.

Levels being a very popular night spot in Bangkok meant the terrace dance-floor was packed most nights. This allowed for Fuzion to focus direct sound to the dance-floor area and minimise reflections. A speaker system with the capability of asymmetrical projection would make uniform pattern control across a dance floor more of as possibility. The added benefit of this is that it would also reduce reflections reverberating around the space and out of the open balcony to the outside neighbourhood.

The selected speaker system was a circular centre cluster of Quest HPi110. This is a highly controlled box with an asymmetrical horn (+15/-45). Ben and his team mounted 4 HPi110 in an X format inclined at 30º delivering a good 12m of coverage hung 4 meters above the floor, and with no dull spot directly under the cluster.

Overall, a great result was achieved for the Fuzion team and Levels nightclub.