Iconic LGBTQ+ venue gets an overhaul as Infinite Audio Systems utilizes Powersoft technology to deliver true sonic excellence through its multiple zones.
Since opening in 1988, Palace Bar and Restaurant has built its reputation on exuberant drag brunches, live entertainment and a welcoming atmosphere for anyone wanting to party. Located at the heart of Ocean Drive to the south of the Miami Beach neighborhood, Palace recently completed a massive overhaul of its sound system to add power and clarity to its audio offering and enhance the experience of its guests – with an estimated 1,500 passing through the doors every weekend.
Across the venue’s multiple zones, a range of 14 Powersoft X4, Duecanali and Quattrocanali amplifiers were specified by Miami-based Infinite Audio Systems, a full service design and build, audio and lighting contracting company, in addition to Infinite’s own loudspeaker solutions.
Palace Bar’s audio rack equipped only with Powersoft amplifiers
With music serving as its lifeblood, the owner of Palace, Tom Donall, was keen to improve on the previous audio equipment with a sound system that would be capable of conveying the energy of the shows held at the venue. “Being one of the most well-known gay restaurant bars in the world and putting on a famous drag show, the clarity of the sound and the bass needs to be impactful, and evenly distributed,” explained Donall, who has over 20 years experience of running entertainment venues, and understands the importance of sound in venues. “When the girls perform, they lip-sync, and we need the best sound to give the punch and clarity, and to bring this energy that we’re known for at Palace,” continued Donall. “This is why having high-quality audio was crucial for us – it sets the stage for the festive energy customers find here, making sure each visit is a special experience.”
The venue features four different audio zones – its café area, main indoor dance floor, the roof top and the downstairs outside patio area on Ocean Drive. Donall called upon Infinite Audio Systems to discuss the audio overhaul and collaborated closely with its CEO, Lord Toussaint, highlighting the need to cover all areas of the venue so that each customer – and performer – can hear clear, high-quality sound, wherever they are. “We needed a system which is tailored to the requirements of each of the venue’s areas,” said Donall, highlighting that it was of utmost importance to ensure the outside areas could withstand the natural elements, especially the salt from the ocean water, and that the audio system would be able to run the live show seven days a week, twice a day, while maintaining pristine sound quality.
Venue Requirements Donall and Toussaint designed the sound system together and went through the requirements of each area individually. “Tom wanted warmth, clarity, and fuller tonality, and sometimes those don’t go hand in hand. But we were able to give him the lot,” stated Toussaint. “It’s a complex scenario because there is a live show performed on the terrasse at the front of the building that bleeds out onto the sidewalk and the streets,” he adds. “It’s a very high-energy show that uses a lot of live microphones and house music tracks, and it needs to work on the people, but then it also needs to be distributed across various areas throughout the venue.”
Palace Bar’s main entrance with Infinite Audio’s new CDX-15V Horizontal Speakers
The main sonic challenge was to equally cover and synchronise all areas during the live shows – knowing that the areas are vastly different. To overcome this, Toussaint deployed speaker systems individually for each area, as if they were standalone systems, and then united them as one, using a Biamp Tesira Server I-O for DSP. The venue’s new audio setup consists of 50 Infinite System speakers in the lower level, powered by 10 Powersoft amplifiers, and 12 speakers on the roof top, also driven by Powersoft. “The whole system is amazing,” says Donall. “The punch, the power and the clarity are what I wanted. It runs perfectly every day, and we don’t have to worry about it.” “We also have top level DJs performing here, and for us it’s easy to adjust everything to facilitate that,” continued Donall. “We have an on/ off switch for the areas we don’t use all the time, and can also control the microphone volume levels.”
Interior Dance Floor At the main stage and interior dance floor, Donall and Toussaint specified two INFINITE CDX 15V loudspeakers, a 3-way speaker system with Dual 15-in transducers and a coaxial mid-high range, both neodymium magnetic on a medium format horn, and INFINITE VLF215 HPX ND WP subwoofers, which are also dual 15-in extended response 4.5- voice coil transducers, powered by two Powersoft X4 four-channel amplifiers. “I think without Powersoft X4s we couldn’t get what we wanted out of our 115 VLFs,” said Toussaint. “There’s no room for 18-in speakers with very low frequency here, so we did it with our extended response 15-in systems, and they were up to the task because of how they’re driven.”
Main bar at nightime
“Our lowest speaker load is a 4-ohm load, but these amplifiers do everything well as it’s all optimized, and we think it’s as important as our loudspeakers to build systems using Powersoft amplification.” Toussaint has been first introduced to Powersoft in the early 2000s, but was initially skeptical about their small form factor and the power they promised to deliver. “For me that was always terrifying,” he said. “I was used to amplifiers that weighed 145 lbs and were 20-in deep, so I had a hard time believing that in that that form factor that Powersoft would provide great output power in a one-space chassis… but I’m a believer now. “I’ve now grown accustomed to the form factor of Powersoft amplifiers, and I’m using less rack space, producing less heat, and powering all these amplifiers at 240V in our installations, and we think that makes them even better,” continued Toussaint. “Nothing that we’ve ever brought to our installations has ever been as robust and as reliable as Powersoft’s amplifiers,” he added. “This is why, for us, it’s a win across the board. Sound quality, reliability, effectiveness, and rack space efficiency – it all works together.”
All other areas of the venue are covered by the INFINITE ND216 HP WP loudspeakers, with INFINITE VLF115 HPX ND offering low frequency support, with Toussaint utilizing Powersoft’s Armonia+ for all speaker specific processing. “I found Armonia+ very intuitive and easy to operate and we’re very pleased with the quality,” he continued. “Using it you can identify the amplifiers on the network, select them and operate them. It’s a tool we’re going to be using more and more of for signal processing. “Powersoft, for us, represents a mission critical amplifier platform,” concluded Toussaint. “If you are operating around the clock, I can not think of another line that can serve those needs like Powersoft can, and I wouldn’t consider anything else at this point, because all of our work is mission critical.”
Donell is also delighted with the end result, saying that Infinite speakers paired with Powersoft exceeded his expectations. “It’s fantastic,” said the venue owner. “Seeing people leave with smiles on their face, already planning their next visit, is what it’s all about for me. And the sound really ties the experience all together.” Toussaint and Donall are currently planning to upgrade Palace’s lighting and video systems in the very near future.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION AUDIO
2 x Powersoft 1604 Duecanali
2 x Powersoft 2404 Duecanali
3 x Powersoft 4804 Duecanali
4 x Powersoft 4804 Quattrocanali
2 x Powersoft X4
www.goinfinite.com
www.powersoft.com
