NONI VIE REVS UP WITH MARTIN AUDIO TO RAISE THE BAR IN KAMPALA
Situated in the bustling heart of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, Noni Vie Lounge & Restaurant has raised the bar as a premier destination venue—in terms of both its cuisine and its music.
The latter was something that the proprietors definitely weren’t going to skimp on. It was while on a visit to London that they visited the Tiger Tiger nightclub and marvelled at the quality of the sound. Investigating further they realised it was a Martin Audio rig, and after contacting the manufacturer, they were directed to Tech Ease Systems, who distribute the brand throughout Central and East African countries.
The systems consultant, Vincent Kasule recalls the original website inquiry. “When I met the proprietors, I could see they were trying to create a modern club and restaurant that would be unique in Kampala, with an excellent audio experience.”
Initially the emphasis was to have been more on a laid-back, lounge-type venue, incorporating bar, restaurant, dancefloor and two private rooms (VIP and VVIP spaces). While Martin Audio’s cost-efficient BlacklineX would provide the bulk of the solution, half a dozen CDD6 were earmarked for the VVIP Room and four weatherised CDD8-WR for the outside terrace.
I think it’s the best sounding restaurant area in the entire region.
Six Blackline X12 populate the dancefloor area while X8s are split between the Lounge and VIP Room, as well as the bar section of the dance area.
Coverage in the restaurant, meanwhile, is via Martin Audio’s elegantADORN ACP-55T Pendant speakers, concealed discreetly within the floral décor, in order not to intrude on the room’s aesthetic, and completing the deployment were six ADORN ACS-55TS ceiling speakers, feeding music to the toilets and ancillary areas.
However, it was immediately after the grand opening that the proprietors decided that they needed greater high-energy dance sound, preferring to move away from the softer lounge mood music. “And so we were called in to undertake an upgrade,” continues Vincent Kasule.
The solution was to introduce a pair of extremely potent THS 15” triaxial point source loudspeakers. At the same time they beefed up the dance area by redeploying a couple of existing Blackline X8 elsewhere, and replacing them with the X12s.
A pair of floor-standing Martin Audio SX218 (2x18) subs on the dancefloor are complemented by a further three SX110, ceiling mounted in the restaurant, while five SX112s provide LF extension across the two VIP lounge areas. The set-up is powered by a combination of Martin Audio VIA5004 and VIA2004 amplifiers, and to ensure the sound is fully optimised, the installation is under the management of Martin Audio’s dedicated DX0.6 and DX0.4 processors.
The sonic landscape and general vibe now have great appeal for DJs, and in addition to Uganda’s finest, the venue has also hosted DJs from South Africa, Jamaica and Europe.
Vincent Kasule agrees. In summary, he says “In terms of the audio experience Noni Vie is extremely impressive—in fact I think it’s the best sounding restaurant area in the entire region.”