Monarchy

Formerly known as The Monarch, and where Amy Winehouse once DJ’ed, this popular bar/pub is a stone’s throw from The Roundhouse – the iconic North London music venue. And whilst it may have new owner-operators (AB-InBev), and a fresh new look, the venue remains committed, and connected to, its music heritage. And so there is no surprise that a full audio upgrade with a high-end Void Acoustics audio system was central to the re-fit.

It’s not the first time that Void Acoustics has partnered with London based integrator AT&C Professional Systems to specify and install a fully integrated Void system. Alan Smith, Business Development Manager for AT&C takes up the story.

“The brief we were given was to create a venue which was the ultimate sports-viewing experience in Camden, with deference to the music heritage of the area as well,” explains Alan. “Whilst the owners appreciate quality sound, their audio knowledge is, by their own admission, limited. And so it was great that we have been able to harness our expertise alongside a strong working relationship with the team at Void Acoustics and specify a high-performance audio system which would do justice to this important venue on Chalk Farm Road.”

The decision to install a significant sized audio system was particularly important because AB-InBev has chosen Monarchy as a flagship pilot venue with a huge variety of application requirements, from playback music to TV sound reinforcement for sport event concepts and live music performances. So coverage and system headroom were both important factors to consider alongside the desire for a compact distributed system for the venue with sufficient performance capabilities given the very music-driven nature of the location.

The extensive refurb saw the venue completely modernised, with a nod to the much loved local craft beer venue it was before the pandemic lockdowns. AT&C had worked with the venue operators on six previous projects including Goose Island Brewpub in Shoreditch and so the operator was very happy when AT&C recommended Void Acoustics as a good fit for the site and its aspirations. “It has also provided us with an excellent opportunity to specify the Venu series from Void Acoustics” smiles Alan. “It was critical to our client that the new audio installation was adaptable for a variety of different style events, whilst reliably and consistently delivering a clear, crisp audio impact for their clientele.”

Central to the install are the cost-effective Venu 6 V2 and Venu 8 V2 high end compact speakers, providing functionality no matter the style or type of event taking place in Monarchy, and perfect for a high impact bar installation of this type where coverage into all corners of the room is required. These workhorse fixtures are supported by the Venu 112 V2 subwoofer which were installed in a flown configuration, freeing up floorspace which is at a premium in such a North London venue.

Monarchy also has a small courtyard at the back of the venue and it was here that AT&C installed the IP-55 rated Cyclone speakers which are fully controlled to ensure no noise disturbance for local residents.

Cirrus 6.1 ceiling speakers, alongside the small but durable Bias Q2 amplifier and easy to set up Bias D1 amplifier, completed the Void Acoustics install. Because the client wanted to use a Dante network as the backbone for the audio, this was a perfect solution as the Bias Q2 and Bias D1 amplifiers are equipped with Dante as standard which proved useful for the integration phase of the project.

The resulting impact of the Void Acoustics system has been extremely well received, as Freya Clarke, Marketing Manager for AB-InBev confirms.

“AT&C really nailed our brief and the installation was completed to a high level of professionalism, and it all works flawlessly throughout the space. Monarchy is in the centre of Camden and audio is very important to the vibe of the space. Following AT&C’s suggestion, we opted for a higher spec Void Acoustics system and have been very impressed with the sound quality and overall performance. We hold live music events regularly and the feedback has been great.”

North London continues to respect and applaud its music history, and Void couldn’t be more delighted to be up-front and centre.