The centrepiece of the installation are the four Xi-1153s and Xi-1122MHA loudspeakers from Electro-Voice, driven by two TG7 and 10 TG5 power amplifiers with integrated RCM-26 DSP modules. The system controller is not only a dream to use but also the epitome of reliability: a NetMax N8000 matrix controller running under IRIS-Net. The system perfectly meets the needs of both the club’s acoustics and the bands it hosts.

Ironically, this wasn’t the solution originally imagined. Whisky a Go Go’s Leonard Contreras and Jason Hines originally favoured a line-array solution, but after numerous test runs with systems from other manufacturers, none of the solutions demonstrated convinced the duo from the renowned club. It was David Brown of Electro-Voice who then suggested removing the term “line array� from the equation. Subsequent tests fully convinced Hines and Contreras, and a decision was made that very day to use the EV solution Brown proposed. But time constraints added considerable challenges to the installation, as Whisky a Go Go is booked with a live act every day of the week.

“We really needed two days for the installation,� recalls Hines, “but instead had to work non-stop.� No sooner had the technicians installed the flying hardware in the ceiling and laid the cables than the first test run began. “The room’s shaped like a giant box,� adds Hines, “so great care had to be taken with the corners. The outer loudspeakers are hanging very close to the wall, which can lead to phasing problems. Nonetheless, we were able to achieve a very vibrant sound that retains every bit of intensity and definition as you move from one end of the room to the other.�

Contreras, who has been working at Whisky a Go Go for 14 years, is thoroughly satisfied, and believes the new system honours the club’s rich tradition. “This is a small, intimate rock ‘n’ roll haven,� he says. “The new PA is 100 percent right for this venue.�

About Whisky a Go Go
Anyone who is anyone in the world of rock prides him or herself on having played at least once at Hollywood’s legendary Whisky a Go Go, whose star shines as brightly now as at any time during its 45-year history. The club’s programme over the years has featured acts like The Doors, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Nirvana, and The Police. Incidentally, Go-Go dancers owe their name to the club, as Whisky a Go Go was the first to suspend hyperactive young ladies in cages to dance and energize customers on the dance floor.

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