Project Description

Overview

Beyond the traditional amenities of fine dining, exotic libations, and mellow music, The Fenix Club introduces a template for a new form of creative and social interaction — on site and online.  Conceived by Laura van Galen, a visionary Bay Area CEO, the new 150-seat club was designed to share live performances by talented indigenous and celebrated world-renowned artists with a local, national and eventually international audience.

Program

The concept of establishing a subscription-based online audience for the live Fenix shows requires the club mixer/director to work ‘on-the-fly’ as the performance unfolds. WSDG positioned a Midas Pro2 Console – 56 Mic/Line inputs with built-in faders at FOH, and customized the basic configuration to support live streaming requirements.  The Control Room is equipped with a TC455 NewTek TriCaster 455 for complete live production and streaming, an Apple MP 2.4 for editing; an Avid Pro Tools HD Native & Interface for remixing for subsequent CD (but not DVD) distribution.  In addition to live shows, the system is designed to enable the club to record live albums on Mondays and Tuesdays when the club is dark.

Design

The club owner discovered an excellent site for this extraordinary venue, a two-story high live room with great ‘bones.’ To facilitate an ideal ‘sweet spot’ environment for the audience while simultaneously defusing audience/dining noise away from the performers, the ceiling was dropped over the front bar and dining sections.  Twin recording studio-style ceiling clouds constructed with a combination of broadband and membrane absorption, were floated over those areas.  The ‘clouds’ were angled upward from the front to the rear of the room, and augmented by aesthetically pleasing wall panels as absorptive acoustic treatments.  These elements enhance the audio quality of the on stage performance and, they inhibit intrusive patron noise.  EAW QX596 Mains and custom Sub-Woofers; EAW12 & 15” Monitors and ASHLY KLR 5000, 4000 & 2000 Power Amps cap off a high quality audio system. Positioning the FOH mixing position at the rear of the room eliminate the issue of obstructing audience view, and provide the mixer with excellent line of site.  The 2nd floor master control room receives continuous feeds from three, fixed-position AW-HE50SN Panasonic HD-SDI Pan/tilt/zoom Cameras, (featuring programmable + operator-control options) and, audio from an array of almost three dozen, Shure, EVRE, Sennheiser and other mics. Beyond the clubs’ terrific acoustics, artists also appreciate the chance to chill in the comfortable green room.

Photographer: John Merkl

Fenix Club Website

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