Raise Tokyo, a new 800-capacity nightclub and DJ lounge on the sixth floor of the Tokyu Plaza skyscraper in Japan that includes an 88-foot tall glass frontage stretching from floor to ceiling, has been outfitted with a sound reinforcement system headed by Void Acoustics loudspeakers and subwoofers as well as supporting components.
“The high-end audio installation in Raise is the first time we have specified Void Acoustics for a lounge operation venue – but the general manager is a Void fan and was keen to see the brand deployed throughout the club, not only because of the audio excellence, but because of the design aesthetic of all Void products,” explains Tocci Satoru, director of eastaudio inc. and Tokyo Sound System Laboratory, the long-term exclusive distributor for Void Acoustics in Japan.
The venue’s dance floor is served by chrome-colored Tri Motion and Airten V3 loudspeakers, joined by several Venu V2 and Stasys 118 subwoofers deployed throughout the venue. The project is also the first in Japan to employ Arcline 218 subwoofers, with Cirrus 6.1 ceiling loudspeakers providing distributed coverage while an ArcM 12 provides DJ monitoring and a Venue 215 V2 sub is positioned behind the sofa in the VIP room for added low end. All loudspeakers are driven by Bias D1, Bias Q1 and Bias Q2 power amplifiers.
The lack interior walls inside the space presented a unique challenge to the sound team. “The inability to hang speakers was a major constraint to the sound plan,” explains Tocci, “and we really had to think outside the box to achieve the end vision desired by our client.
“The glass is polyhedral and has no parallel surfaces, so there are no standing waves from reflections,” he continues. “Acoustically, the room is not as bad as one might expect. The ceiling, however, has a height of 27 meters (88 feet) and the glass is shaped to tilt inwards as it goes up, so the sound pressure of the bass is not reduced even on the upper floors. To reduce noise spill, we improved the absorption to minimize the transmission of the sub on the floor and used a Forward Directivity Isolator (F.D.I) system that suppresses resonance by surrounding the array with a unique structure to prevent sound leakage, while at the same time improving the impulse response and directivity. This results in a ‘tighter’ bass and a more natural sound.”
Given the pandemic timing of the project, an additional challenge was presented by the remote nature of advising the integrator on the ground, explains Sean Iskhander, APAC sales manager for Void. “Having no option to travel to Japan, our advice and input was mostly over email and WhatsApp,” he says. “We had to ensure we were giving as much support to the team at eastaudio as we could in order to fulfil the project. Being thorough in our responses and advice, and with a keen attention to detail was key.”
The venue’s general manager, Taro Fujita, concludes, “Raise is a club located in an exclusive neighbourhood where Tokyo’s best VIPs and celebrities gather. We are pleased that the sound quality and aesthetics of Void’s speakers complements the high-end club perfectly. A Void sound system can accommodate the wide variety of music genres and the wide range of music played by the famous DJs who are playing at our club. In addition to which the bespoke silver chrome finish of the speakers are a significant visual addition to the interior design of Raise Tokyo.”
