ARTA Mechanics & Inspirations, housed in a converted warehouse in the Shinkiba area of Tokyo in serving as a hub where visitors can immerse themselves in a motor racing brand experience, is outfitted with a sound reinforcement system incorporating Genelec 4000 Series loudspeakers throughout the space.
Born from a collaboration between Japan’s foremost F1 racing driver, Aguri Suzuki, and leading Japanese car parts manufacturer Autobacs Seven, today ARTA is the largest racing team in Japan. Aside from its racing endeavors, ARTA is also a brand with a range of luxury products to its name including custom cars, watches, and apparel.
According to Autobacs Seven brand business sales manager Naoto Oyama, the industrial feel of the warehouse environment offset against luxury products is the right setting to represent the image of motorsports. The Genelec loudspeakers play a role in creating that ambience.
“As the name suggests, we are here to inspire our customers, and the atmosphere of the space plays a crucial role in that,” says Oyama. “We consider sound as one of the most important tools for creating atmosphere, so a high-quality audio system was very important for us. Genelec fulfilled all our criteria, namely premium quality audio, elegant design, ease of installation and ease of use.”
The venue has six compact 4020 loudspeakers discreetly distributed throughout the space. Staff can choose from a variety of specially curated playlists to match the mood of the day or the particular event. The loudspeakers are equipped with an ISS power-saving function that automatically detects the absence of an audio signal – putting them into ‘sleep mode’ accordingly – making them more economic to run.
Oyama is pleased with the results: “What I especially notice when playing background music is that you can hear the sound perfectly no matter where you are in the store – coverage is perfectly consistent throughout. Furthermore, it never interferes with communication in the store, such as conversations with customers, which is crucial in creating a comfortable space. The audio remains clear, detailed and perfectly audible, but it never impinges on conversation. This may seem like an obvious point, but I think it’s amazing!
“The design matches really well with the industrial feel of the store – and I like the fact that the loudspeakers are made of recycled aluminum, that feels like a really good fit for us in motorsports. I’m also impressed with the sound we achieve from such compact boxes – collectively they fill the space with sound and perfectly reproduce the atmosphere of the racetrack.”
