Self-described as “the ultimate high point in the cocktail scene,” Apogee is an innovative rooftop bar on the 26th floor of the Dana Hotel and Spa. Featuring master mixologists serving up creative cocktails in hand-blown glassware and custom ceramic vessels, it was recently awarded “New Concept of the Year” at the Nightclub and Bar Awards in Las Vegas.
“The venue is a re-concept by the Fifty/50 Group whom we work with on a regular basis for a number of restaurant and club installations in Chicago,” said Encompass AV’s Tim Pickett. “They were replacing and totally upgrading the original bar that was on site, and the owner and his team were concerned that the original sound system wasn’t up to par. It was only two or three years old, but really hurt your ears at loud volumes. We did an A-B demo with Martin Audio CDD12s and the original 12in. speakers, and you could clearly hear the quality difference with the CDD12s.”
The installed sound system includes 12 CDD12s and four CSX118 subs mounted on the ceiling around the perimeter of the bar and the main seating area. The bar’s VIP room is equipped with four CDD10s mounted on the walls with yoke mounts and two CSX212 subs mounted above acoustic paneling but ported outwards so the sound can be evenly distributed.
Pickett confirms that the ownership “is ecstatic with the final results.” Situated on the top of a high-rise building in close proximity to neighboring condos, noise levels were a significant consideration, but Encompass AV was able to mitigate those issues. “We were able to tweak the system and quickly eliminate any possible problems because of the control we have with CDD’s differential dispersion technology,” Pickett said.
“Bottom line, the club sounds great,” he added. “The coverage is incredibly consistent, the audio quality is amazing, and the low end sounds phenomenal. The owners are way happier with the Martin Audio system than the original PA.”
Product at Work:
MARTIN AUDIO CDD12
The Coaxial Differential Dispersion technology employed in the CDD12 delivers consistent audience coverage, projecting relatively more output to the rear of the audience, while having wide horizontal coverage close-up.
