When Nachtresidenz, a noted venue in Düsseldorf, Germany decided to upgrade its 15-year-old sound system, it turned to local audio experts Thöne & Partner, which deployed loudspeakers from Funktion-One in a unique sound design.
Nachtresidenz has built its reputation around its music policy, service and atmosphere, and the building itself has been known for entertaining people ever since it started life as the Residenz-Theatre in the 1920s. While the style of entertainment has changed, many of the period characteristics have been kept and blended with modern features, resulting in a collection of captivating spaces.
The venue includes five different areas, spread over 1,800 square meters, but it is the main room that really defines the venue. A dome with a height of more than 13 meters combines with interior design and lighting to create a glamorous event space. The owners, eager to support an entertainment program that regularly welcomes international DJs and performers, decided it was time to update the sound system. In doing so, they wanted to create something unique—a five-point configuration that supports specially created tracks and surround sound features.
Nachtresidenz aims to be the first club and event venue in the world to be fitted with a surround system that takes guests on a journey into a new and unique world of music perception. The man behind the concept, Tom Trautsch, is an experienced promoter, music producer, DJ and former head of marketing for an international electronics company. He is currently the managing partner of KTB-Holding – the company that owns Nachtresidenz. Trautsch has spent several years developing the technology that has helped to transform the venue.
Thöne & Partner’s Benedikt Koch states: “We are glad that Tom Trautsch and his partners approached us to design a solution for their unique location and audio concept. The task was to create a five-point system with the highest possible resolution, which has the impact and flexibility necessary to cover the various needs of this extraordinary location.
“It’s a really cool space that’s used for high-end clubbing, live acts and corporate events,” he continues. “Its height and the exact positioning of the requested five points in the dome presented some challenges—namely reverberance. We overcame this by positioning the speakers as near as possible to the people.”
The system’s five points are formed by pairs of Funktion-One Resolution 2 loudspeakers. The Resolution 2 is an entirely horn-loaded, full-range enclosure offering very high high efficiency. Bass comes from six Funktion-One BR221s positioned in two stacks of three on either side of the stage to deliver plenty of definition and elasticity, even at close range. The main system is powered by MC2 E100Q amplifiers and controlled by an XTA XO4 audio management system.
Two Funktion-One PSM318s ensure that resident and guest DJs have a high level of stage sound available. The two-part monitor combines a double 18-inch bass reflex enclosure with a separate triple concentric mid-high speaker to deliver quality monitoring performance.
In addition to the main system, a smaller club space on the upper floor has been installed with a four-point system, made up of single Resolution 2s combined with a BR221 bass enclosure and PSM12 monitors. Again, power and control for this set-up comes from an MC2 E100 amplifier and an XTA XO4 controller.
Koch adds: “We’re really pleased that we had the opportunity to bring Funktion-One sound to Nachtresidenz. We attended the venue’s birthday in late-November and experienced the new system in full flow. It really does work well in the space and it was a great pleasure to see the guests reactions and feel the positive vibe.”
Trautsch concludes: “Knowing exactly the challenges of this project, we are very pleased with the approach Benedikt and his team implemented with Funktion-One. Their considerable experience and understanding helped us to bring to life our vision of a five-point surround clubbing experience. We are very pleased with the result and get overwhelming comments from promoters, customers and guests—about the system and the ‘new’ Nachtresidenz. We are confident to say that, as far as clubbing experiences go, this is a milestone.”