The Nest - Revisited
The expanding Colombo Group, headed by former fabric co-founder Steve Ball and Riz Shaikh, recently added its first live/dance club to a portfolio of London bars and gastro-pubs.
Occupying the site of the former Bardens Boudoir in Dalston, east London, is The Nest, where technology specialists Middlesex Sound & Light (MSL) were tasked with designing a flexible sound system around Martin Audio components.
The brand had been specifically requested by Matt Monhardt, general manager of the 300-capacity venue. “Martin Audio is the best sound system we’ve heard in club situations,” he said. “We told Middlesex Sound & Light that we wanted Martin Audio loudspeakers and they have also upgraded to Martin Audio amps because the impact and precision are so much better.”
The owners spent around £500,000 on developing the empty shell, with Riz Shaikh redesigning the rectangular concrete basement, offset with salacious neon signs, adding bars and alcoves.
At the same time, MSL fulfilled their remit — that the sound system should function early evening as a conventional live sound reinforcement rig and later as a hard surround dance sound, with the concrete floor isolating the heavy thud of the a pair of S218 (s x 18”) subs.
At the same time, by designing the system into four zones, controlled in a BSS Soundweb London DSP environment, they can ensure that customers in the alcove seating, or at the newly-appointed bar do not have full exposure to the potent system.
Handling the stage and dancefloor sound respectively is a pair each of flown Martin Audio Blackline F12+ and F15+ multi-angle enclosures, with the S218’s handling the sub frequency extension.
For the bar area MSL have turned to Martin Audio’s AQ range, deploying eight of the architectural AQ6 (6.75”) enclosures along with a pair ofAQ215 (2 x 15”) sub bass enclosures, to deliver a more hi-fi sound at lower SPL.
Elsewhere a pair of Blackline F10+ enclosures provides the DJ with high class monitoring at the highly-specified front end — while at the other end of the spectrum four of Martin Audio’s potent and stylish C6.8T ceiling speakers have been installed in the Ladies and Gents toilets.
Powering the system are quantities of Martin Audio MA5.2K high power amplifiers, with Crown XTI units completing the power set up.
MSL had been recommended to the Colombo Group by Dan Coshan, former GM of fabric — which also operates Martin Audio systems exclusively) — who now looks after one of the group’s venues (Paradise in Kilburn). “We wanted something with flexible zoning and as much bass as possible on the tiny dance floor. At the same time we wanted to adjust the music level at the bar and seating area — and MSL has enabled us to do that.” The company’s attention to detail extends to the signal transmission, which uses Power over Ethernet (PoE) and VDC cable.
The Nest presents live music from Monday to Thursday, while at weekends live music is staged until 10pm — and the venue reopens as a dance venue between 11pm-4am. “This allows us to be more flexible and bring in different indie crowds,” says Monhardt.
