VR1 Install at legendary club LUX in Lisbon

LUX, at the cutting edge of the market, is installing the VR1 PoE! !

There are innovations so discreet that they can fit in the palm of one hand, yet able to make all the difference… This is the case with the VR1 PoE offered by NST Audio, a little jewel that changes the way the ambiance is created in rooms dedicated to music lovers of music of all kinds! This simple little box, which can be fixed anywhere on the walls of a bar, club or concert venue, effortlessly increases the versatility of spaces by offering different sound atmospheres …The principle is simple: the whole team, or even customers in some cases, can now regulate the audio volume in selected areas of an establishment, switch from one feed to another, select outputs as they desire, all while remaining at the centre of the action!

Creating the vibe in every area!

We were eager, then, to see the VR1 PoE on the ground. And as is often the case, it was LUX, one of the best clubs in the world according to many international classifications, that opened the ball by installing it in its nightclub in Lisbon! It’s not surprising that they were the first to test this product. We at Solution One have been working with LUX since 2006, with a high degree of mutual trust and a shared passion for sound that has enabled us to develop sound systems of incredible reliability for the past twelve years and without a hitch! The VR1 PoE began its journey with them, in a context perfect for making the best use of it. Because LUX is more than just a club: it includes a 500m2 bar on the first floor, with a dance floor and differentiated spaces, some more cosy, to chat, relax with friends, make new connections, meet old acquaintances…It must also be said that LUX, since its inception, has created a place conducive to eclectic encounters, between artists, intellectuals, music lovers and night owls… They can also enjoy the party downstairs, where there is a mega club with a world class Funktion One sound system, which drives the action and encourages DJs to make crowds pulsate, while upstairs, the atmosphere in the bar changes as the night heats up… These multiple spaces and this desire to offer a variety of atmospheres require detailed and complex sound management…. The VR1 PoE is therefore ideally suited, since it now allows the night manager to alter very easily the various ambiances in a selection of predefined areas.

No need for zoners or special training

There is no longer any need to know how to make complex adjustments in the amp room to carry out the necessary adjustments. It is therefore quite a revolutionary change that NST Audio are offering, because it has been difficult, until now, to manage these systems. In fact, they also allow access to parameters that the end user could never touch before, due to the risk of compromising them. This completely new possibility is very competitive because it no longer requires traditional and expensive zoner kits, the complexity of which was always too great for local staff to touch, due to possible safety problems or the risk of causing damage. With the VR1, this problem no longer exists: the installer or sound engineer creates the necessary access for the end user and customises it as the client requests. The VR1 is set up according to the needs of the customer, so the user can easily access its various functions. Thus it is now possible to hand over control to the DJ or bar worker, who can manage different ambiances from wherever they are. This allows them to experience the effect of the settings in real time, whereas previously they had to go to the technical area, where they could not hear the effect of the changes they made.

It is now easier to provide varying soundscapes to the audience and tailor them to different times of the day or to the mood at the time. The bar worker can thus decide to turn the sound up on the “dance floor” while lowering it in the bar area, then turn it up everywhere if that seems appropriate. He or she can also decide to switch from radio to television in part of the building, for example, while leaving a musical chill-out space in a designated area… And customers can do the same in each VIP alcove as long as a VR1 has been installed in it!

Quick to install and intuitive, for pristine sound quality!

On a practical level, zones are defined beforehand, in order to be able to offer different sound atmospheres in each space. This makes it possible to work in a very thorough way, according to the needs of the moment, and to change the ambiances, or vary them, zone by zone, at any time ! In addition, the sound quality remains excellent. The VR1 is a PoE (“Power over Ethernet”) system, so the box is supplied with electricity via a simple network cable. This process, well known to those who work in network technology (IT, home automation etc.), has become standard in its implementation. It can also be retrofitted, without any great expense. This was not the case with zoners, which, in addition to being costly could adversely affect the signal. The VR1 PoE therefore makes it possible to achieve both economic and qualitative savings, by drastically reducing the number of steps required.… The VR1 therefore replaces zoners, while still maintaining the possibility of accessing input-mixer matrices. This allows audio inputs and outputs to be mixed and makes toggling between two inputs easier (switching from television to radio, for example).

This innovation has been eagerly awaited for years. We must therefore congratulate the manufacturer, who listened to the requests of end users as well as installation technicians. Ergonomic, the VR1 is the size of a standard switch, with a central LED display that displays the logo and colours of the venue. Its box is installed in the chosen space and can be fixed to the wall. Multiple units can be used depending on what is most convenient for the establishment! The VR1 is therefore a very competitive solution, which can be replicated across large venues, while a single VR1 will suffice in a limited space. To top it all off, the VR1 is a product with a sleek design, which is compact and very quickly implemented. While the programming of this type of system is generally very complicated, we are dealing here with an intuitive and fast item, which can be set up in a matter of minutes!