First question: what music, and how loud
Before talking about brands and watts, the right question is a different one: what should the music do in your venue? In a restaurant it should accompany dinner without forcing anyone to raise their voice. In a cocktail bar it should create energy but still let people talk at the bar. In a club it should move the dance floor.
Those are three different systems. Many problems start right here: club speakers fitted in a restaurant, or a background system pushed to the limit on a Saturday night.
Spread the sound instead of turning it up
The most common mistake is putting two big speakers in the corners of the room. People nearby get music that is too loud, people far away cannot hear it, and the staff turn the volume up for the tables at the back.
The answer is to spread it: more speakers, smaller, at a lower volume, where they are needed. The sound becomes even across the room and no table is “under the speaker”. For venues with several spaces (dining room, bar, terrace, private area) you think in zones, each with its own volume.
Control: zones and volume from a tablet
A well-designed system can be used without a technician. With a digital mixer, for example a Soundcraft Ui24R controlled from a browser, staff adjust the zones from a tablet or phone: lower in the dining room during dinner, higher at the bar after ten.
The trick is to set a maximum volume for each zone that staff cannot exceed. It protects the system, protects customers’ ears and above all avoids arguments with the neighbours.
Nightclubs: subs, dance floor and DJ booth
In a club the heart is the dance floor. Sound pressure matters, but so does the low end: subwoofers must be placed and time-aligned with the main speakers, otherwise some parts of the floor get too much bass and others almost none.
The DJ booth is the second critical point. The standard for resident and guest DJs is Pioneer CDJ players and DJM mixers: having them installed avoids hiring them every time a rider (the DJ’s technical sheet) arrives. The DJ also needs a booth monitor, separate from the room system, to hear clearly without turning everything else up.
Acoustics and neighbours
A room full of hard surfaces, such as glass, concrete and tiles, echoes: the music becomes muddy and the noise of conversation rises. Sometimes a few acoustic panels solve more than a new system.
Then there are noise limits. Every municipality has its own rules, and many venues with music need a noise impact assessment carried out by a qualified acoustic engineer. A well-designed system (speakers aimed at the audience, carefully placed subs, limits set on the mixer) makes it much easier to comply.
Permanent install, subscription or hire
There is no single right formula. In general:
- Permanent installation: for a new venue or a refurbishment. The system is designed around the floor plan and furniture, cables run before the finishes, and the result is clean and final.
- Monthly subscription: for those who do not want to invest straight away. The kit stays installed for a fixed fee, with support and replacement if anything fails.
- Hire for the night: for special events, openings or nights with a guest who asks for more system than usual.
How we start
The first step is always a site visit: we look at the room, listen to how it sounds, and talk about the music you want and how many people you host. The first consultation is free. We work in Rome, Umbria, Tuscany and on Lake Garda, on venues already open and on projects under construction.
