VERSUS DEFIES THE ODDS TO DOMINATE L.A. CLUB SCENE

Los Angeles––According to audio integrator Arthur Lalikian of Elite Communications, the owners of Versus wanted nothing less than 'the best sounding club system in Los Angeles.' All of which is consistent with the absolutely 'over the top' approach behind the re-design and construction of this high profile mega club addition to the downtown L.A. scene.

Located in an acknowledged 'architectural masterpiece'––the 1920s Los Angeles Stock Exchange Building––Versus has been carefully restored by designer Aramik Gragosian so that original foundation elements such as the classic marble staircase, large historic bronze doors, Art Deco-style lighting and stained glass windows shine forth as the centerpiece of this design showcase.

These historical elements have been combined with modern flourishes such as orange leather furniture, an indoor pond and six bars in a 22,000 square foot multi-level entertainment fortress with three floors. The ground level features the building's imposing original 40-foot ceilings and houses the huge dance floor made of Brazilian walnut. Alongside the dance floor is a 60-foot bar made from Mexican glass tiles imported from Mexico and an extendable stage for live bands and comedic performers.

The massive marble staircase leads up to the first mezzanine level/second floor lounge decorated with indoor ponds and a Mojito lounge with semi-private tables and dance floor area. The club's custom-made high tech DJ booth is part of a serpentine wrap-around balcony that overlooks the cavernous dance floor below.

Next up is the third-floor Ultra-VIP room with designer furniture, a personal bartender and cocktail server, plus private restroom. This exclusive 'sky bar' chill area is far from the downstairs crowd and reserved for 30 top-line guests and celebrities like Jay-Z and Shaq.

With a capacity of just over 1,300 guests, the club plans to provide 25 valet attendants every night, along with an indoor smoking lounge for patrons waiting for their car to arrive.

Given the epic scale and 'spare-no-expense' approach the owners have brought to the facility and décor, allotting $1 million for audio makes total sense. With that kind of number to work with, Arthur had no doubts about recommending Martin Audio loudspeakers based on their 'exceptional clarity and sound quality, not to mention the level of bass impact.'

The main part of the system consists of eight Martin Audio W8LCI Compact Line Arrays mounted on the wall with eight WS218 subs. As Lalikian explains, 'It's kind of a semi-circular dance floor, and because the ceilings are too high and everything is concrete above the balcony given the fact that it's a historical site, we couldn't drill into the walls to rig the speakers.

'So the speakers are hanging from custom-made brackets welded to I-beams in the walls around the dance floor, which means the sound doesn't travel much and eliminates most of the echo and distortion. Four WS218 subs are ground-stacked under the stage and four are under the main staircase. All of which gives us more than enough volume and low end impact.'

On the second floor mezzanine level, two Martin F15s matched with an S18 sub are provided as a monitor rig for the DJ booth. Arthur chose to flush-mount eight Martin Audio C8.1T speakers in the ceiling above the concave-shaped VIP seating area 'so that people could be aware of the sound without having to speak too loud. With the Martin ceiling speakers, they can stay relaxed and have a good conversation without screaming.'

For the Ultra-VIP area on the third floor, two Martin Audio AQ10s and an AQ210 sub provide discrete but highly detailed sound for the private room, bar and lounge.

Keeping it consistent from a design standpoint, amplification is provided by an array of Martin Audio 6.8Q and 4.8Q power amps with two of the company's DX2 loudspeaker management systems.

Asked about his client's reaction to the sound, Lalikian says: 'The owners are really happy with the sound and we've had no complaints from promoters coming in to use the sound system. Everybody loves it. But you do have to stay on top of the DJs when they come in, because they don't always know how to control the volume levels."

Everybody who's heard the system has been speechless. They say it's the best system they ever heard, and I have no problem saying it's the best sounding club system in Los Angeles."

For more information, please contact: Rob Hofkamp, Director North American Operations at 519.747.5853 and rhofkamp@martin-audio.com, or visit www.martin-audio.com.