The Mediterranean flavours of Cologne’s Da’s Lupo restaurant – one of five owned by the restaurateur, Gabriel Zanchetti – were reflected in its requirements when a new audio system was sought out. The restaurant opted for the Optimal Audio ecosystem that AV specialists, Starpoint, recommended to suit their palate.
Spread across two floors, Da’s Lupo’s restaurant features a large dining room divided into two areas with a separate bar. A function room with a dance floor occupies the lower floor.
For Da’s Lupo, music is an integral part of the dining experience, and the restaurant needed an audio system that met three criteria. The first of these was that the system was customisable for each of the three distinct areas of the restaurant, so that the music fitted the flavour of the day and time; the second was that the system was simple and intuitive so that operation followed the same fluidity of the restaurant processes and that even untrained staff were able to simply and effectively control the volume levels in the different areas.
The third requirement was for an audio system that delivered exceptional sound quality both upstairs in the main restaurant and downstairs in the function room space, where there was a need for significantly higher volume levels to cater to events.
Starpoint specified and installed an Optimal Audio system comprising four each of the full range Cuboid 5 and Cuboid 6 loudspeakers in the restaurant area, powered by two 2 x 350W Amp 100 amplifiers.
In the basement event space four full range Cuboid 8 loudspeakers, supported by a single, passive Sub 15, contribute to a club-like atmosphere with sound levels to match. Two 2 x 1,350W Amp 300 amplifiers drive the system.
The venue staff control the Zone 8 via the ZonePad 4 wall controller so that volume levels can be managed in every zone of the restaurant including the event hall in the basement.
The intuitive Zone 8 and ZonePad 4 combination has been a revelation of simplicity for the restaurant. Da’s Lupo’s Service Manager, Inga Schmitz, confirms, “Since our music system has been upgraded with Optimal Audio, we have had no problems with the operation and, for example, the different volumes in our various areas.”
“Counter staff often have a certain amount of mistrust when it comes to operating a conventional audio system. The ZonePad 4 removes this barrier to entry. It’s intuitive to use and can even be controlled remotely using the WebApp.”
As well as adding simple intuitive control, the Optimal Audio system has set a new standard in sound quality for the restaurant. Easily accessible settings in Optimal Audio’s WebApp were configured to enable clear and high-quality sound that fills the space even at low volumes creating a more comfortable ambient level for staff and guests.
Starpoint’s Sönke Klan, explains, “The customer approached us with the wish to modernise the sound system and install a simple control system adapted to the needs of the restaurant. We were able to realise these requirements perfectly with the products from Optimal Audio.”
He continued, “while the main advantage of the new music system at Da’s Lupo is the simple, intuitive operation of the ZonePad 4, which includes the individual volume settings for the different areas in the restaurant, the new system also offers all-round discreet but full sound.”