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| 2x ETX-35P loudspeakers were used with 4x ETX-18SP subwoofers and 5x ETX-15P loudspeakers were employed as stage monitors |
The Basement Canberra, a live music venue and bar located in the suburb of Belconnen, was looking to upgrade its sound system after the new owners took over in July this year.
Described as a venue with “cold beer, hot food, pool and live music – what else could you ask for?” the basement mainly caters for artists and fans of heavy rock, metal, grunge, and alternative music. They also feature acoustic artists and various other musical genres from time to time. Acts range from local to national and international artists so a serious sound system was therefore required to provide high levels of volume and a premium sound quality.
Lance Fox, one of the key principals and general manager of The Basement engaged audio-visual company Eo Design to help specify the "right sound" as well as upgrade the lighting. For the sound, Peter Guest, Managing Director of Eo recommended for him to try out the latest from Electro-Voice which was getting rave reviews around the planet. Peter contacted the EV distributors, Bosch Communications Systems, to get the lowdown and put together a great system for the venue. “We were looking for loudspeakers that were powerful, sounded great at any volume, could provide high SPL, and could go hard at a high volume for a long time. Deep clean bass was essential. It was important to greatly improve the existing sound to help attract promoters and key artists to want to play at the venue as well having something that was durable and long-lasting.”
Bosch Communications Systems recommended ETX Powered Loudspeakers after assessing the venue and its requirements. 2x ETX-35P loudspeakers were used with 4x ETX-18SP subwoofers and 5x ETX-15P loudspeakers were employed as stage monitors.
To safeguard the investment, a special steel and timber barrier protects the four subs and five monitors from physical and liquid damage, while the three-ways are suspended from the ceiling. “With sound so good, we wanted to protect the equipment a little. The barrier also provides a safer environment for the band as well as the audience,” said Lance Fox.
"The ETX loudspeakers are great value for money and just perfect for The Basement" |
Once the speakers were installed, Bryan Davidson from Bosch/EV tuned the system in the room so as to provide a base platform for good live sound mixing engineers to realise the best possible sound.
“In order to do this I popped several balloons and took measurements with EASERA and noted the room’s acoustic signature. I also made some long-hand calculations and verified a couple of potential issues, including a nasty room mode. I then used SysTune to verify the necessary equalisation adjustments which I set using the ETX’s on-board parametric EQ filters. Several minor tweaks and listening tests later I was able to lock these adjustments from anyone making any changes using the ETX’s on-board lock out feature,” said Bryan.
The day the system was installed, Bryan also mixed the first band on the bill during their rehearsal. They were totally blown away by the ETX-15P speakers that were used as fold back monitors. “When the band took their first break I was inundated by people commenting on how incredibly good the system sounded. Not only was it loud enough, and believe me it was really only idling and still achieving 102 dB at the desk according to the SPL meter, the ETX-35P’s are extremely articulate and the subs had more punch that I could have imagined,” said Bryan.
Lance and the other owners were also impressed by the sheer power and quality of the sound. “The sound is absolutely awesome. I could not have hoped for a better result. The ETX loudspeakers are great value for money and just perfect for The Basement. I am very happy with the end result,” said Lance Fox.
