Optimal Audio provides zoned sound system for Bangkok’s Japanish
Optimal Audio provides zoned sound system for Bangkok’s Japanish
Bangkok restaurant and bar Japanish has installed an Optimal Audio sound system to provide independent audio control across four zones, accommodating the venue’s transition from dining to late-night entertainment.
Combining Japanese and Spanish cuisine, Japanish operates from 5:30pm until 4am, with different areas catering to dining, drinks and DJ performances. The installation allows each space to operate independently, with dedicated volume, EQ and source settings for the terrace, dancefloor and other areas.
Designed and specified by Wasee Karnchawee of Optimal Audio distributor ProPlugin, the system is centred around an Optimal Audio Zone 4 controller. The four-zone configuration enables staff to adjust audio levels and sources in individual areas without affecting the rest of the venue.
“The brief was really about separation. The client wanted the terrace and the indoor room to feel like different places, and that only works if you can treat them as different systems. Zone 4 lets us do that,” explained Karnchawee.
“We specified Optimal Audio because it’s so simple to install as well as being easy for staff to use. The appeal of the ecosystem is that you are not making products from different manufacturers agree with each other. Zone, ZonePad and the loudspeakers were specified together, so the install was cabling and configuration rather than problem solving.”
To accommodate changing staff shifts and the venue’s extended operating hours, the system incorporates Optimal Audio’s WebApp, allowing staff to adjust volume levels in each zone using a smartphone or tablet. A wall-mounted ZonePad 4 provides an additional control point for managing sources and levels across all four zones.
The indoor audio system comprises Optimal Audio Cuboid 8 eight-inch loudspeakers and Sub 10 10-inch subwoofers, providing reinforcement for both background music and DJ performances. The configuration allows higher output levels in the dancefloor area while maintaining lower volumes in spaces intended for conversation.
“What the client noticed first was that the audio quality is the same across the venue. You can walk from the terrace to the dancefloor and the sound character does not change, even though the levels and the sources do,” said Karnchawee.
Ceiling loudspeakers have also been installed in the restrooms and a designated photography area, where maintaining clear sightlines was a consideration. The flush-mounted speakers provide background music without drawing attention to the equipment.
“You want people to hear the music and never once look up to find where it’s coming from,” added Karnchawee.
The completed installation provides Japanish with a centrally managed audio system that allows staff to adjust the sound in individual areas according to the venue’s changing requirements throughout the evening.
