Lock, Stock & Barrel JBR Dubai

Solutions Leisure Group has expanded its portfolio in the Middle East with a second Lock, Stock & Barrel outlet at the Rixos Premium Dubai - a stylish urban hotspot located in the heart of Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Residence.

LSB JBR, as it is known, is two and a half times bigger than its older sibling at Barsha Heights, but shares the same elements that customers have come to know and love. The same team was drafted in for the new venue too. Lighting Designer, Ben M Rogers takes up the story: “When you do a sequel to a hit movie, it has to be bigger, louder, faster with more explosions and that’s where I feel we’re at with LSB JBR. It shares the same DNA, but increase in size is reflective in that there’s more dining and eating opportunities - more live cooking stations. It still has the same décor style and container theme, slightly bigger dancefloor, similar stage design but there’s more production tricks in there. “There is a very theatrical aspect to the design – taking into account the interior design detail and seeking to enhance every element to ensure longevity of interest for the diverse crowd it attracts.”

Solutions Leisure Group didn’t deviate too much from the original design when it came to audio either, turning once again to Pulse Middle East. The brief was to have a multiple audio zoning system integrated with the TV screens and projection, the audio was designed to accommodate live entertainment and DJ music source having the flexibility of controlling every single zone at the venue with the needed source and level. Managing Director of Pulse Middle East, Joe Chidiac explained further: “The design was simulated on EASE including Pulse ME engineers’ expertise, speaker system distribution designed by myself, control system designed by Greg Brown. The room acoustics designed by Mathew Carter Acoustic Logic played a big role in the audio performing the way it was designed to, obtaining a great result.

While the client has used a solid material made from steel and other reflective material to be able to give the industrial look and feel for the venue.” The FOH stage required high SPL speakers with 90° × 50° coverage, but Pulse felt that line arrays were not the correct solution. Joe and the team decided a point source system was more appropriate, providing a more focussed dispersion and a higher SPL performance for the required frequency range. “The only loudspeakers that can deal with all the technical requirements, in my opinion, were the T24N and T20i from TW AUDiO with unparalleled specs compared to any other brand,” added Joe. The T24N and T20i cabinets from TW AUDiO are coupled with M10’s, M8’s, and C5’s and the low-end frequency response is extended with the help of B18, B10A and B15A subwoofers.

“We wanted Dante protocol amplifiers with built-in DSP,” continued Joe. “Having the speaker factory presets compatible with the power amplifiers, Powersoft was the solution in terms of technical specs, power consumption, long term warranty covered by the manufacturer, smart cooling rack system, less rack amp space and performance.” Joe selected Powersoft amplifiers - three X8 Dante and seven Quattrocanali 4804 DSP Dante for this project and combined them with the company’s Armonía software for processing, as it was ideal for dealing with multiple zones with no complications. Mixing requirements at LSB JBR are looked after by a Midas M32 with redundant M32C over Dante protocol.

As it usually is with many projects, time was short for this installation, which always adds pressure - in this case Joe and his team had just 45 days. Located in the same building as nightclub, Inner City Zoo (ICZ - see article here), Solution Leisure Group is ticking all the nightlife boxes in that complex from daytime to evening, right through to the early hours of the next morning.