Malt – Barrel & Fire goes for the Optimal Audio Solution for new Waterfall location

Malt – Barrel & Fire is a modern gastro pub with a food-centric offering while also maintaining a considerable list of wine and cocktails. The extensive bar is stocked with a broad variety of whiskies & other premium spirits with a selection of draught beers on tap ready to pour. With three stores already in operation at Monte Casino in Fourways, and then the Silver Lakes and Queens Corner venues operating in the Pretoria area, it was only fitting to open another stunning site in Midrand at the halfway point between Johannesburg and Pretoria. Situated by the world-class Waterfall Estate with the Mall of Africa nearby, this new space builds on the experience that has been nurtured and built with the other stores to service a growing and exclusive Midrand clientele.

To match the incredible décor and setting the Audiosure team in partnership with Thomas from THD Audio designed an audio system that not only matched the energy and vibe of the venue but also considered the aesthetics to provide wide and flexible coverage across the floor space without dominating wall spaces with large brackets and obtrusive speakers. Optimal Audio Speakers and Subwoofers supported the aesthetic and technical requirements, Wharfedale Pro drove the wattage and Allen & Heath provided the infrastructure backbone with the AHM-16.

AHM is a family of powerful Audio Matrix Processors supported by a comprehensive ecosystem of scalable Inputs/Outputs, control and Dante solutions. Designed to excel in corporate, retail, hospitality and education environments, AHM allows integrators to quickly create systems that scale from a single room up to a complete university campus. Using the same FPGA technology and HD broadcast quality 96kHz sample rate found in the top of the range dLive ecosystem, you have the acclaimed Allen & Heath Sound quality and sub-millisecond latency fully controlling install environments. With years of audio technology at hand AHM delivers far more processing than the conventional open architecture platforms including an 8-band PEQ, gate, compressor and delay on all the input channels, with features such as an 8-band PEQ, 30-band GEQ, compressor, Active Noise Cancellation, source selector, limiter and delay on all zone outputs. For Malt – Barrel Fire and Ice the AHM-16 interfaces with a basic IP6 controller at the front door for simplified control over a TCP/IP network so every space and room can enjoy local volume control, source selection and preset recalls directly from the IP6 controller.

On the client facing end of all this processing, the venue installed a range of Optimal Loudspeaker with two powerful Wharfedale Professional DP Amplifiers driving the system, with some DSPPA ceiling speakers covering service areas like the bathrooms. A single Wharfedale DP-4065 and DP-4035i provide all the wattage to run the entire venue in just 2U of rack space!  The DP-4065 drives four channels with 1100W available at 4 ohms on each output with the DP-4035i also adding another four outputs of 765W at 100 V line to drive a combination of power requirements across the speakers.

For the beautiful wrap around outside balcony the install team used Optimal Sub 6’s paired with sets of Cuboid 5 TXB speakers. With their ABS cabinets and painted aluminum grills the Cuboids bring an IP54 rating (suited for covered outdoor use) and they deliver rich and detailed sound with punch and precision to all sides of the balcony. Pairs of the Cuboid 5TXB were used extensively across the venue in both portrait and landscape orientations to take advantage of their 130° horizontal x 120° vertical coverage to deliver the music and audio straight to the tables.  The compact Sub 6 features a custom designed 6” Driver with a 2.5” voice coil, combined with a generously sized low frequency port this punchy subwoofer pushes out 250W (AES) with a peak SPL of 118db dropping down to 37Hz at -10dB matching specs of bigger subwoofers. Together the arrangement of two Cuboid 5 TXB’s over the Sub 6 is less of a footprint than a single 10” or 12” speaker box, meaning more focus on the brands and venue design.

Inside Malt – Barrel & Fire Waterfall the Cuboid 5TXB’s are paired with the larger Sub 10 subwoofers. These low-profile boxes perfectly lend themselves to hide away in the ceiling and corners of the venue and with a peak spl of 127dB and frequency response of 50Hz – 150Hz ± 3dB the Sub 10 will leave people wondering where all the bass is coming from.

Malt – Barrel & Fire Waterfall is reaping the rewards of a system design that meets the aesthetic and audio goals of the venue without compromising on volume or quality. From sporting events to spinning tunes the Optimal Audio Speakers, Wharfedale Amplifiers and Allen & Heath AHM system takes it all elegantly into its stride to deliver a premium experience.