Aktuelle News & Schlagzeilen

Penguin revamps Laine Pub Co sound with Martin Audio

Martin Audio partner Penguin Media Solutions recently completed the third technical overhaul of pubs in the burgeoning 50-plus Laine Pub Company estate. Both organisations are HQ’d in Brighton, UK, and Penguin’s Technical Project Manager Dylan Thompson says that since all three city centre pubs have their own identity and autonomy an individual approach was required when it came to specifying audio. Thompson turned to Martin Audio, whose portfolio afforded different options.

Penguin’s latest implementation was the “Black Lion”, a popular music pub nestled in Brighton’s Lanes. The client required better traffic flow to draw its clientele towards the rear of the room - where the intensity would increase - and avoid the current pinch point at the front. “The previous design was a bit lazy, with lots of mismatched 8-in boxes scattered around and a sub that wasn’t doing much”, says Thompson. “It all sounded a bit samey and thin, and we were asked to give it personality.”

Placing both the acoustic and visual focus on the DJ, Penguin designed a new cast concrete booth, equipping the compact domain with a Blackline X12 as reference monitor and SX215 subwoofer on anti-vibration mounts. Either side are now a pair of FlexPoint FP12s and eight Blackline X8 for general room fill. Explaining his selection, Thompson says: “I didn’t want to go much smaller than that because I wanted to keep a nice warm mid-bass running through and we didn’t have many options for sub placement. I really like the whole FlexPoint range.”

To this he added a pair of Blackline X210 subs - one flown to place it in the required location, and another under the banquette seating at the front - all driven by two sister brand Linea Research 88C10 amps. Sound is routed via an existing Soundweb venue matrix, with DSP handled within the Linea environment. Another of Martin Audio’s sister brands, Optimal Audio, comes into play outdoors where sixteen Cuboid 3T (with IP kit) are installed.

The entire venue is then controlled via Penguin’s bespoke app, developed in-house. “By using third-party control with a web app - and not platform specific - the supervisor, manager and DJs can control the lighting”, says Thompson. “There is a little tablet in the booth to trigger the presets, and levels and source for each zone can be controlled for on the same app.” This was part of a larger project in which the integrators designed and installed pixel lighting - industrial looking tubes behind and above the DJ, with flush plastered profiles for the arches, and recessed profiles for wall washing.

Less than a year earlier Penguin Media Systems had carried out their first installation contract for Laine, after being recommended. This was “The Hope & Ruin”, described as a grassroots live music venue. Penguin’s recommendation was the Martin THS 15-in triaxial point source speaker, and a pair of SX215 subwoofers now feature at the front of the stage, replacing an ageing system that had become unreliable. At the same time they provided the venue with four LE100 artist reference monitors.

Having passed their induction, Penguin were then offered the “Dead Wax Social”, another city centre pub. Here Thompson made the decision to roam off grid, specifying a pair of Martin Audio Screen 4s, originally designed as a cinema system, in newly fabricated custom flying frames.

Thompson’s rationale in recreating a ’70s listening bar theme was entirely logical, as he explains: “We played about with them and did a bit of voicing change to suit the creative brief and aesthetic from Rob Hall at Laine; we also turned them horizontally in their new frames to make them look even more eye-catching as well as gaining space.” He also painted the baffles, and in their new hammered green finish, the speakers have now become a visual focal point as well.

(Photos: Martin Audio)

www.martin-audio.com

© 1999 - 2025 Entertainment Technology Press Limited News Stories