With cuisine by renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten as the prime attraction, The Rooftop by JG at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills complements the experience with vistas of the Los Angeles skyline and distant mountains. To assure comfortable open-air dining in all four seasons a new trellis structure with retractable rain coverings and radiant heaters combines with a complete renovation of the Meyer Sound foreground music system, says John Swan of Las Vegas-based Technology West Group, who was design engineer and project manager for the upgrade.
Comprising 17 UP-4slim full-range loudspeakers and six MM-10XP miniature subwoofers, the new rooftop system augments the total of 92 additional Meyer Sound self-powered loudspeakers that already were installed in five other public areas when the hotel opened in 2017.
“The UP-4slim was a perfect fit for the rooftop because the owners insisted on discreet loudspeakers that would blend into trellis beams,” continues Swan. “Not only did the UP-4slim have the slender profile needed, but Meyer also offers a custom color option. In this case, the company making the trellis had their own paint formula, which they sent to Meyer Sound where it was matched perfectly. In addition, using Meyer Sound’s XP series loudspeakers allowed us to retain the advantages of self-powered systems without running even more AC conduit around the trellis.”
All the new loudspeakers are fully weather-protected, and the signal routing via the MPS-488HP power supply units has channels strategically linked so that separate zones in the restaurant can change levels independently using a Crestron control system.
“With the quantity and placement of the loudspeakers we have uniform and seamless coverage for all the tables, so it’s never too loud at one table or barely audible at others. That’s great for daytime use, but we also have enough horsepower in the system so they can raise the energy level as high as needed for a late evening party.”
The new rooftop system shares six Galileo GALAXY Network Platforms and 11 MPS-488HP power supplies with the extended pool deck systems.
Existing Meyer Sound systems in service at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills are for the rooftop public promenade (20 MM-4XP miniature self-powered loudspeakers and six MM-10XP subwoofers); pool lounge (six UP-4XP loudspeakers and two MM-10XP subwoofers); pool deck (two UPA-1P and two UPJ1XP loudspeakers with two 500-HP subwoofers); lobby check-in (12 UP-4XP and two MM-10XP), and outdoor seating at the Jean-Georges Beverly Hills restaurant on the ground floor (30 MM-4XP and six MM-10XP).
“The owners here made audio quality a high priority from the beginning, which is not always the case even at upscale hotels,” says Swan. “They realize that, over the long run, it’s a smart investment in customer satisfaction and loyalty.”
