Tempe, AZ – October 2020… Spanning 14 floors and featuring unique dining options, a gym, more than 3,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and a rooftop pool with a terrace bar, cabanas, and a fire pit, the Canopy by Hilton Downtown is a boutique lifestyle hotel that re-defines elegance. And to ensure the best possible sound reproduction throughout the venue, management invested in the installation of a healthy assortment of loudspeaker systems drawn from catalog of Valencia, Spain-based DAS Audio.
‘Skinny’ Greg Gilman, who is involved in a wide range of music and sound endeavors, including both work as a DJ and as an AV installation professional, was contracted to manage the Canopy’s sound system installation. Working in conjunction with Oakland Park, FL-based TM Sound, an AV design/build firm, the combined team deployed an assortment of DAS loudspeakers that drew from the company’s Quantum, Ovi, and WR Series catalogs. Gilman discussed the project.
“The hotel’s entrance is equipped with two black DAS Quantum Q-43-T loudspeakers and, due to installation limitations, we got creative and installed them facing the building so they reflect in the high-rise entryway,” Gilman reports. “Just past the front desk is the lobby, which also doubles as the first restaurant/bar. This space was fitted with ten white Ovi-12s, suspended 14 feet above the concrete floors and 2 feet from the ceiling, providing equal coverage for Alter Ego (the restaurant & bar) and Myrtle Corner (a lounge/waiting area)—without the undesired reflections from a nearby large room with glass garage doors. We also managed to hide four Q-10 subwoofers and tuned them perfectly so they wouldn’t disrupt guests calling or checking in. Further, just outside the aforementioned garage doors, we placed two Q-23-T loudspeakers with IP Kits for the outdoor patio dining area.”
“Moving into the display kitchen area,” Gilman continued, “is an optional private dining space where we hid two more Q-10 subs and four Q-43-T loudspeakers to match the room’s décor. Exit the elevator on the 14th floor and turn left, and you enter Alibi, a cozy top level bar surrounded by one of the best views of Arizona. Here, there are six Q-23-T loudspeakers, which provide coverage right up to the bar. This way, the bartenders don’t have to constantly ask guests to repeat their orders, and yet the energy remains high. Two Q-10 subwoofers are hidden behind the bare columns of the room.”
“Just outside of the bar on either side, we placed two DAS WR-8826 enclosures for the outdoor dining area on the East Patio or outdoor lounge on the West,” Gilman added. “While the East Patio has a dedicated Q-10 Subwoofer with an IP Kit tucked away in a corner, another Q-10 with an IP Kit that is custom mounted to the ceiling is shared between half of the pool area and the West Patio. Exiting the West Patio lands one on the pool deck, which features two Q-43-T loudspeakers joined as one unit above the white cabanas on each side of the deck, amounting to a total of four loudspeakers pointing at the rooftop pool. Finalizing the design, there are two Q-10 subwoofers with IP Kits in black that are hidden in the planter area. These provide the other half of the low-end for the pool deck. Of course, DAS Audio power amplifiers drive the entire setup.”
The Canopy hotel’s overall design is intended to be flexible to accommodate a wide range of activities in each area. To address this with the audio equipment, Gilman made special reference to the fact that, “all zones can be tied to whatever activity is taking place because of the sound system’s overall flexibility.”
While Gilman is enthusiastic about DAS loudspeakers, he also made special reference to the company’s power amplifiers, “While we usually praise the loudspeakers, I must admit that I believe the champions of this installation are the power amps at the back of house. The flexibility and multiple models of the DAS IA Series amplifiers are responsible for a cost effective and space saving design. The amps played a huge role in this system’s versatility.”
The Canopy by Hilton Downtown installation was completed in August 2020. Since that time, Gilman reports the system is drawing rave reviews, “In the end, the project came out even better than expected. Between the power and flexibility of DAS amplifiers and the fact that DAS has a wide range of loudspeakers that enabled us to make the perfect match to the various spaces, we created a versatile system that sounds terrific throughout the venue. Equally important, the Miami-based DAS Audio team not only believes in their products, they genuinely care about the installers and the end users—and that attitude always makes DAS the perfect fit!”
For information about ‘Skinny’ Greg Gilman and TM Sound, visit their respective websites at www.skinnymaninc.com and www.tmsound.com.
About DAS Audio
Headquartered in Valencia, Spain, DAS Audio is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of loudspeaker systems, power amplification, signal processing, and related components. DAS Audio products are found on tour with the world’s greatest performing artists and installed in many of the most prestigious facilities. For additional information about DAS Audio, visit the company online at www.dasaudio.com.
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