Top Paris Club Upgrades To QSC System Solution

Paris, France, June 2009 … One of France’s top nightclubs — Palacio, in the Paris suburb of Ivry-sur-Seine — has renovated its main audio system. The venue has replaced its previous loudspeaker system with a powerful QSC Wideline 8 line array — part of a complete matched solution designed by QSC’s territory distributors, Sennheiser France.

The distributor had already established a relationship with the venue after providing QSC PowerLight 2 and PLX amplifiers at an earlier stage, and they have now augmented this with a pair of new-generation PowerLight PL380 (2 x 4000W) switchmode amplifiers.

Reassured by having dependable service back-up on their own doorstep, owners, the Da Silva family, nevertheless wanted to evaluate different loudspeaker speakers before they were convinced. Says Sennheiser France project manager, Jean Francois Dunogier. “We were up against two formidable competitors; but since we already had the amplifiers installed — enabling us to offer an attractive deal — and were also able to demonstrate the Wideline in a parallel shoot-out, QSC became the preferred solution.”

Furthermore, the Da Silvas were impressed both with the reliability of QSC and smaller footprint of the Wideline 8, which offered a more discreet solution than the previous system.

M. Dunogier’s room simulation, using the EASE Focus software, provided a further competitive advantage. “This modelled the acoustic pressures and enabled me to set up the test rig correctly — and I think this demonstration proved conclusive,” he said. Additional presets in the QSC NAC-100 wall control remote further optimized the sound quality.

Thus Sennheiser France were tasked with rewiring the main 108 sq. metres (18m x 6m) space in the 2,000-capacity club set on two floors, reassigning the existing PL2’s to drive the ten WL3082 mid-high enclosures, arranged in two hangs on either side of the room. A pair of HPR-122i provide stage side fills.

For the subs, two low-profile WL212sw and ground-supported GP-218sw subwoofers were specified, and M. Dunogier sensed that the new PowerLight PL380’s would be the perfect complement. “This was vital as this new generation of Class D amplifiers changes the sound of the low frequencies radically,” he believes.

All amplifiers are connected to a QSC BASIS 914zz DSP system controller, which handles the system management and monitoring duties.

Now the club’s resident DJ’s, can spin their mix of largely West Indian and House music right through the night on weekends, before Palacio makes way for calmer live concert music on Sundays, bringing out different characteristics of the QSC system.

What Palacio has gained, believes M. Dunogier, is much greater audio precision rather than increased volume levels (since this is tightly regulated in France).

“The owners are delighted with the transparency of this high-quality system, and regular customers are constantly telling them how impressed they are with the sound.”

QSC Audio Products, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of power amplifiers, loudspeakers, signal processing, digital signal transport, and computer control systems for professional audio markets worldwide. For more information, contact QSC Audio Products, Inc., 1675 MacArthur Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 USA.  Phone: 800-854-4079 (USA only) or 714-754-6175.  Fax:  714-754-6174.  E-mail:  info@qscaudio.com, or visit www.qscaudio.com.

Further information from:

Jerry Gilbert,
JGP Public Relations
Tel: +44 (0)1707 258525
E: jerry.gilbert@ntlworld.com