Love Music Ltd Employs RCF Sound System for Dining and Live Music Spaces at Haswell Green's

At Haswell Green's, a bi-level bar and restaurant near New York City's Manhattan theater district, a night can move from dinner and conversation to a full-band performance. New Rochelle-based system integrator Love Music Ltd. designed and installed an RCF sound system to serve both sides of the venue's operation. Founded in 1998, Love Music Ltd provides audio, video, and technology design and installation services for hospitality venues, businesses, and homes.

The main-floor stage sits roughly 40' from the bar, and the room's relatively low ceiling made coverage a central design challenge. Love Music suspended three RCF HDL 10-A active line array modules on each side of the stage, directing sound toward the dance floor and farther into the room. Two RCF SUB 8004-AS professional powered subwoofers on the stage (one on each side) provide low-frequency support for live performances in the 300-plus capacity venue.

"We needed the band to reach the back of the room without overwhelming the people closest to the stage," says Joey Merigliano, president of Love Music Ltd. "Being able to aim the RCF HDL arrays helped us put the energy where the audience needed it."

RCF C 3110-96 two-way passive loudspeakers provide side fill, while compact speakers cover smaller dining areas. Love Music also placed two RCF S 8015LP bandpass subwoofers beneath booths to add warmth toward the rear of the room. Upstairs in the space known as Winnie's (capacity 300 people), the system uses RCF S 8015LP bandpass subwoofers along with a combination of RCF Compact C 45 two-way professional speakers and Compact M 06 and Compact M 08 two-way professional speakers (the smaller speakers serve the private event rooms).

The system's processing gives staff different settings for live music and everyday service. During a performance, the side fills are delayed and balanced with the stage system. During regular restaurant hours, the main RCF HDL 10-A line arrays are off, and the distributed speakers provide background music. "That flexibility was the goal," Merigliano says. "The room has to feel comfortable when people are eating and talking, then deliver the impact they expect when a band takes the stage. RCF's range of cabinets let us build for both uses."

Love Music has worked with RCF since the early 2000s. Merigliano says throughout his time using RCF, the company's support has been valuable throughout the design process, particularly when a venue presents an unusual layout or competing budget needs. For more complex projects, he consults with RCF's manager of installed sound and system designs, Jim Reed, about speaker selection and coverage. "Jim is great at looking at the room and understanding what we're trying to accomplish, both from the client and installer perspective, then coming back with options at different budget levels," Merigliano said. At Haswell Green's, that collaborative approach helped Love Music shape a system for both live performances and everyday restaurant service.

Merigliano says RCF personnel helped review the Haswell Green's system specification, and he credits the installation's lasting performance to the equipment, system design, and day-to-day operation.