Case Study / Club & Lounge
Reflections from a high ceiling, glass walls and a vibrating steel frame controlled through aiming and zoning.
Project summary
- Challenge
- A high ceiling, a glass mezzanine and a steel frame causing reverberation, dead corners and a risk of vibration when the subs run.
- Solution
- A lower Main position, zone fill speakers, an electronically curved subwoofer array, vibration isolators and time alignment for each zone.
- Result
- The coverage is brought closer to the listeners, the dead corners have fill speakers and the vibration points are handled under control.
From First Survey to Handover
01 / Diagnosis
Following the success of DOM Club Nha Trang, in mid-2020 the founders expanded with a new brand, Warm Club, in Da Lat, and again chose Tony Lab Audio to advise on the sound from the start. The building has an I-Beam steel frame with a main ceiling as high as 8.6m — a height that very easily causes strong floor-to-ceiling reflections. On top of that, the U-shaped mezzanine has only 2.1m of headroom underneath and is enclosed in tempered glass all round, so the sound bounces back, harsh and smeared.
02 / Engineering decision
We lowered the Verity Monster 4-Way main cluster from 8.6m to 3.2m, focusing the energy precisely on the dance floor and reducing direct sound onto the mezzanine glass. For the dead corners under the 2.1m ceiling, 8 YME VS12 full-range speakers were set up separately for the Bar and the mezzanine. Every speaker is fitted with Hutech anti-vibration springs to isolate it from the I-beam frame. For the low end, 6 dual subs (2×18-inch) are configured as an electronically curved subwoofer array with delay applied to each section, widening the bass across 6m and covering the dance floor evenly. Every zone is time-aligned on the DSP at the selected measurement positions, with RMS/Peak Limiters set to the equipment ratings and gain structure.
03 / Verification and value
The revised layout addresses reflections and structural vibration while retaining the glass interior. Operating level and listening duration remain part of managing the venue. Tony Lab Audio provides a monthly maintenance plan.
“Tony Lab didn’t just supply a powerful sound system — they fully solved the complex glass walls and steel frame of Warm Club. The system has run extremely steadily from 2020 until today.”
The Project in Pictures
01 / 05 — Hutech anti-vibration springs at a speaker hanging point, isolating vibration from the I-Beam steel frame.
Before and After
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Glass wall reflections | Harsh upper-mid and high-frequency reflections | Reduced by revising the speaker tilt |
| Subwoofer SPL coverage | Cancellation/boom in the mezzanine corners | operating levels checked at handover (±2.5 dB) |
| I-beam steel frame vibration | Structural shaking | Mechanically isolated with Hutech springs |
Frequently asked questions
Why didn’t Warm Club put acoustic panels on the ceiling and the glass walls?
Warm Club wanted to keep its modern glass design. Tony Lab Audio solved it by steering the sound (an Electro-Acoustic Solution) instead of changing the interior architecture.
Does lowering the Main PA to 3.2m leave the mezzanine short of sound?
No. The U-shaped mezzanine and the area beneath it have 8 separate YME VS12 fill speakers (Multi-zone Fill), so the volume and EQ can be set separately for each zone.
How does the electronically curved subwoofer array configuration work in a narrow 6m space?
Delay is applied along a curve across the 6 dual subs, widening the bass coverage horizontally and with the result checked across the listening areas and near the side walls.
Has the system had any faults or needed equipment replaced since 2020?
The system is protected by RMS/Peak Limiters on the DSP and Tony Lab Audio’s monthly maintenance plan, so it has run steadily without any major replacement.
