Manhattan's LQ Nightclub Upgrades to D.A.S. Audio

The Latin Quarter-commonly known these days as LQ Nightclub-has a storied history that dates back to 1942 when Lou Walters, father of renowned TV journalist Barbara Walters, first founded the popular nightspot. While much has changed over the years, there remain two constants: the desire to have superior sound quality and vibrant entertainment. Recently, the popular club upgraded its sound reinforcement capabilities and, to ensure world-class audio quality for both the performers and the clientele, a new loudspeaker system drawn from the Aero Series 2 catalog of D.A.S. Audio was installed.

North Bergen, New Jersey-based, E&A Sound LLC was contracted to handle LQ Nightclub's recent sound system upgrade. Edwin Diaz, the firm's owner, discussed the nature of the project and his decision to deploy D.A.S. Audio's highly regarded Aero 12A powered, two-way, mid-high line array modules.

"The Latin Quarter, which is now located in the Radisson Lexington Hotel at 511 Lexington Ave at 48th in Manhattan, has multiple zones that needed to be properly covered as part of this installation," Diaz explained. "In addition to the main dance floor, there are two VIP sections plus a bar area. In all cases, we were looking for compact loudspeaker enclosures that delivered live performance audio quality and sound pressure levels while maintaining a relatively small footprint. The club's owner was aware of the D.A.S. installation we handled for the Luna Nightclub in the Bronx, which also used D.A.S. Aero 12A as well as Convert 12A loudspeakers. After visiting the club and hearing the system, he gave us the green light for the LQ project."

At the LQ Nightclub, Diaz and his crew deployed a total of 16 D.A.S. Audio Aero 12A loudspeakers. Eight Aero 12A's handle the main dance floor, with four enclosures flown per side. In addition to these loudspeakers, the adjacent bar area has two Aero 12A's for fill purposes while the lower level VIP area also has two Aero 12A's. There is a second VIP area located upstairs with another four Aero 12A's. In all cases, the Aero 12A loudspeakers are flown and are supported by D.A.S. Audio AX-Aero12S rigging bumpers. Subwoofers are a proprietary design.

Diaz elaborated on his reasons for deploying D.A.S. Audio's Aero 12A loudspeakers: "The Aero 12A outputs exceptional sound quality and SPL levels given the surprisingly small size of the enclosure. Speech intelligibility is excellent and the loudspeakers are very musical in nature. I also love the fact that these loudspeakers are self-powered because this not only simplifies system cabling, it also saves considerable space. In the case of the LQ Nightclub, we were able to eliminate three equipment racks that used to reside in the DJ booth since we no longer needed to house power amplifiers."

In addition to the LQ and Luna nightclubs, Diaz has installed D.A.S. Audio loudspeaker systems at the Monte Carlo Room in the Bronx. "At Monte Carlo," Diaz reports, "we installed a combination of D.A.S. Aero 28A loudspeakers along with LX-218A subwoofers. In each of these installations, D.A.S. Audio's customer and technical support services have been exceptional. When I have questions, I get straight through to people who understand what I'm looking to accomplish and get the information I need quickly. The company is very responsive to its customers. I've been working with D.A.S. for a good 15 years or so and the company continues to impress me."

The LQ Nightclub project was installed and placed into service in February and, since that time, Diaz reports it's been smooth sailing on all fronts. "The new loudspeaker system is working out really well," he says. "The various bands and DJ's that work there have been very complimentary, as have been the club's customers. The owner has told me on numerous occasions how impressed he is with the sound and this has led to new business opportunities. There are plans to add additional loudspeakers in two more areas at the club. When a project leads to new business -- as it has in this case -- that's as good as it gets!"