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KV2 is the Wise choice for Polish clubs

28/3/2022

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Wise Clubs is a leading AV consultancy and integration firm based in Kraków, Poland. The company was recently called upon to design and integrate systems into two of Katowice’s hottest nightspots – the iconic P23 club located in a former porcelain factory, and its little brother, the recently opened CEL club in the centre of Katowice. Both venues have been equipped with comprehensive KV2 sound systems - the first KV2 systems to go into clubs in Poland - designed and installed by Wise Clubs and supplied by KV2’s polish distributor, Arcade Audio.

P23 has a true post-industrial feel with its natural brick walls, steel girders and lofty ceilings. One of the city’s premier live music venues, P23 plays host to a variety of events, from acoustic concerts through to rock music and – perhaps the genre for which it is best known – techno. The biggest names in techno and electronic music have all played P23 in recent years. The venue has recently upgraded its sound system to a full front-to-back KV2 solution based on the SL412 full range wide dispersion system plus a pair of SL2.15 subwoofers and two VHD2.21 ultra low frequency subwoofers per side. Four ESD12s and two ESD15s act as frontfill and balcony delays. On stage two EX12s accompanied by two EX1.8 subwoofers provide a monitor system, which may also be used as a stand-alone sound system for separate events.

CEL, on the other hand, is a venue dedicated strictly to clubbing – techno, house, electro, drum & bass; the cream of the Polish club scene and numerous European artists play here. Wise opted for KV2’s classic ES system comprising a pair of ES1.0 mid/high speakers supplemented by four ES1.8 single 18-inch subwoofers, with power and control supplied by two EPAK2500/R units.

Michal Piwowar co-owns and manages both venues. He explains that for P23 they were looking for a system that would provide high quality sound and even coverage throughout the venue – which he admits is not an easy task due to its unusual shape. They also wanted something that would fit the austere aesthetics of the club, and yet keep acoustic treatment work to a minimum. “We tested many systems and played concerts and events on several different rental setups, but it was the KV2 system that sounded truly exceptional,” says Piwowar. “It delivers across the full spectrum of sound – attacking in the middle, massaging the bottom end and penetrating the highs.”

He also admits with a grin that sound engineers sometimes take a bit of convincing to use the system, but once they’ve heard it, they’re converts. “People often object to what they don’t know, especially when they’ve probably got a mate in a local rental company with gear they do know…Eventually, after the rehearsal, the engineer admits that we are right, and by the time they’ve done the show, he’s of the firm opinion that it’s an outstanding sound system! As I said earlier, we tested a number of so-called ‘top-shelf’ systems; only a few sounded comparable, but they didn’t cover all of our concert space and yet were more expensive.”

“We’ve had the opportunity to use the KV2 on many events now,” he continues. “It works well for everything, from intimate solo events to a full house with black metal bands and all-night techno events. The feedback has been unequivocal, and in line with ours.”

When it comes to CEL club, Piwowar explains that the requirements were slightly different in that it is a pure underground techno/electro venue. “Our clients demand a lot, so we needed an efficient, maintenance-free system to cover the long, narrow space that is our main dance floor,” he describes. “That’s why we opted for KV2 again because frankly, having heard the system we have in P23, it’s hard to look at equipment from any other manufacturer any more.”

Daniel Klasa is the chief audio specialist at Wise Clubs and was involved in both of these pioneering projects. “We are a company that is constantly looking for new solutions in the pro AV world,” he says. “After many conversations with Alex Pagliani, sales director at KV2 Audio, we were able to visit the factory in the Czech Republic to hear about their various solutions. It was ‘love at first sound’!”

Fascinated by KV2’s completely unprecedented approach to sound system design based on analogue architecture, Wise Club decided to invest in a demo system and introduce KV2 to their world. “The system that was finally installed in P23 was tested by the club owners during the Upper Festival, a multiform experimental music experience held every year at P23,” explains Klasa. “It passed the test with flying colours and I think it’s no exaggeration to say that the system simply rocked! The club owners are thrilled with their new systems, and I’m sure it won’t be long before other clubs in Poland follow suit.”