SP4 installed in club RAI MoscowMoscow, January 2008
Russia, Rai is a new star among the elite clubs in Moscow. The club is hot, huge, full of young-rich-and-gorgeous Russians and the massive sound system in all three venues is based on Sound Projects SP4.
Rai (“Russian for Paradise”) is a joint project of the club promoter Andreas (First, Penthouse, Jet Set, Shambala) and Maxim Goretsky (Myata, Look In Cafe) and built on the premises of the Chocolate Factory. Andreas worked with an almost unlimited budget, which enabled him to make his feverish imaginations come true. The multifunctional club is split into three distinct venues. First you enter the Heaven bar, with impressive sculptures and one of the world’s most advanced lighting systems. Heaven is merely the holding area, from which you have to pass another set of face control to get into the much larger main space, which is Rai club. This is the place to be. The third region is the multilevel Elysium concert hall, designed for corporate events, furnished with extremely swanky white leather sofas.
Responsible for the total sound system in the Rai Club is Moscow based Sound Projects agent Acoustic Projects. Igor Sinitsyn (MD) consulted Jan Slooter from Sound Projects to design the ideal sound for the different halls and dance floors. “For the huge main dance floor in the Rai Hall 6 x SP4-Diamonds are flown in the corners, added by 4 X-act monitors as downfills under the SP4-Ds. On the floor, near the wall we stacked 3 x SP4-15 bass cabinets per side.” explains Sinitsyn “Because the dance floor is so large we also installed a rear PA, consisting of a stack with 2 x SP4-15 and a SP4-Diamond and 3 X-acts on the wall. Under the balcony we installed 2 X-act monitors, as well as on stage where they are used as floor monitors. The PA at the second dance floor is also a stack of 2 SP4-15 plus a SP4-Diamond per side. And for the rear PA, 2 bass bins SP15 are stacked on the floor and 2 X-acts are flown.” All audio, from DJ to FOH is connected by AES/EBU to the management system BSS, which is controlled by a computer with BSS software.
For the Elysium Concert Hall the choice was made for a system based on Sound Projects Easy Tour. On the stage 2 Easy Tour sets are stacked per side. Not only the management of the club and the public are enthusiastic about the sound system. Also journalists write ecstatic about it. Sinitsyn: “We have created a very good sound. It is powerful and clear, but not over the top. The headroom on the main dancefloor can reach over 120 dB without limiting, so the system will always drive in its comfort zone with little or no distortion.”
If you needed any more proof that Moscow has the most out-of-control club scene in the world, look no further than the new Rai. It opens at midnight and stays open until the last customer leaves. Long que’s of Moscow’s success generation dressed in designer’s clothes, quickly try to charm their way past the long queue at the face control in -23 oC weather. You will however never find a queue for the 40 well kept toilets, you will find the staff extraordinary friendly, you pay $40 for a Kir Royal, there are waterfalls and sculptures but above all, the sound is superb. Reason enough to visit Moscow!
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