Hurrairah bin Sohail and integrator RSR Pro Sound & Lighting discuss how a straightforward audio and video installation for a retail outlet was tweaked and elevated to help the space differentiate itself from the competition.
AV installations for retail spaces are unique. The end user needs AV technology to capture the attention of customers and retain it. At the same time the products
deployed need to help the retail space differentiate
it from its competitors while also blending in with
the aesthetic chosen by the interior designer. It is
the unenviable task of the integrator to make the
AV system perform the many functions that are
demanded.
Phantaci, a clothing and apparel retail chain
founded by Jay Chou, opened its first store in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia choosing a space in the bustling
Chow Kit region of the city. The building itself used
to be a pub and was selected due to the aesthetic
value of a spiral staircase running down the middle
of the three floor building.
RSR Pro Sound & Lighting was engaged as the
integrator while Page Innovates was also involved
as the exclusive distributor for HK Audio.
While Phantaci required both video and audio
systems, the latter was the main focus of the
project. Sheila Wong, manager of Phantaci in
Malaysia, comments: “Phantaci was founded by
Jay Chou who is a a world famous musical artist.
Keeping this in mind, we had to have quality audio
for our space and this was our foremost priority.”
Richard Phong from RSR Pro Sound & Lighting
provides more details: “The interior designer was
very involved with project. We had to match the
speakers and their placement with the ID’s vision
for the aesthetics. This was an important part of
the project.”
Design for the audio system started from these
two points of conception and Phong details:
“We came up with different design choices for
Phantaci based on different placement and
fixtures for the speakers. Each design had a
different coverage pattern and throw of sound.
We selected the design and tweaked it based
on feedback from the end user regarding their
needs and the expected crowd placement in the
space.”
Point of difference
Phantaci has chosen a unique way to differentiate
itself from other retail outlets. Wong from Phantaci
says: “Many retail outlets engage rental services
for catwalks when the need arises. We decided t
have a permanent catwalk on the second floor. We
feel this gives our customers a unique experience
and helps us set ourselves apart.”
LG displays provide visuals on this floor of the
retail space. On the back-end a Focus Media 1x4
HDMI splitter and Focus Media extenders are
used to transmit video from a DVD player. The
requirement for video was not extensive and the
content is managed by the staff at Phantaci.
Keeping this in mind, RSR Sound & Lighting
ensured that the video system deployed was user
friendly and simple to operate.
Phong says: “The video deployment was simple
and easy. Phantaci just needed to get video from
point A to point B and vice versa. Not much
switching was required and the design was very
straightforward.”
To further enhance the staging of the catwalk,
Effect Factory Mini LED moving lighting has been
deployed. A Net.Do A200 stage light controller at
the back-end helps with operations.
Audio for level two is delivered by four HK Audio
Elements Sub AS subwoofers in conjunction with
four E435 satellite speakers and two Nano 305
FX speakers. Six HK Audio IL80CT ceiling speakers
can also be found and are used for background
music.
Phong talks about the different types of
speakers chosen: “The ceiling speakers deployed
are just for the background music. These are what
Phantaci uses on a daily basis to provide audio
for the space. The additional Nano speakers and
Element speakers are used for the catwalk area or
when events or shows are being held. They are
only engaged when needed.”
The audio system for the catwalk was also the
main challenge that the integrator faced on this
project. Phong narrates: “Our challenge was to
match the audio system with the expectations
of the client. It was difficult to predict how
the space would be used and what events they
will be staging. This meant that it was difficult
to predict where the crowd would be seated or
whether people would be walking around and
mingling. If the MC is walking around with a
wireless microphone would that cause feedback?
Add to this the fact that the second level has a
lot of hard, reflective surfaces and even glass
incorporated into the interior design and we had
a space that was acoustically challenging.”
The due diligence done during the design
period helped overcome the aforementioned
challenges and Wong from Page Innovates says:
“The HK Audio Element speakers can be stacked.
But we needed to place the speakers such that
there was full coverage for the space and proper
audio distribution.”
A Yamaha MGI2XU mixer is used to control the
audio system and two Sennheiser microphones
can be found for input. Adrian Wong from Page
Innovates talks about the importance of the Yamaha
mixer: “The mixer was essential for the project as
it allows the staff to control the
audio system. It also provides an
easy way for Phantaci to bring
other audio equipment into
the house audio system. For
example, at the launch event
Phantaci invited a DJ to come
and play and they were just
able to connect the Pioneer DJ
system to the Yamaha mixer and
use the house audio system.”
The Phantaci outlet has been
operational since August 2018
and the end user has reported
no issues or complaints with the
audio and video systems.