Optimal Audio Sets the Table at Revellata

FRA – From the first aperitivo to the last table cleared, Revellata is built for the unhurried evening and sound is a big part of that. The new Italo-Corsican bar-restaurant in the heart of Les Halles de Laval set installers EMS Le Mans a deceptively simple brief, asking them to fill eight distinct zones with sound as polished as the interiors and leave behind a sound system that staff can run without a manual in hand. Supplied by Audio-Technica, an Optimal Audio ecosystem fit the bill, giving even coverage everywhere, and intuitive control on the browser-based WebApp.

Each of the restaurant’s eight zones performed a distinct function, calling for more than a single shared source. Optimal Audio’s Zone 8 answered with onboard DSP and independent source allocation across all eight, each configured precisely to its purpose with its own EQ and speaker presets, and controllable alone or in any combination up to the whole venue. Lobby, bar, dining room, terrace or stage — each got its own treatment rather than one feed for all.

With such physically different spaces, powering them cleanly presented its own challenge. Behind the scenes, four SmartAmp 30s drove low-impedance and 70V–100V loads alike at up to 250W a channel, their DSP tuned to the Optimal Audio range so the right EQ and driver protection came as standard. Four channels apiece handed EMS Le Mans the latitude to mix localised and distributed layouts wherever each room demanded.

Never originally intended for sound reinforcement, the venue’s greenery and wooden beams called for a clever approach to coverage. More, smaller loudspeakers were the answer, delivering beautifully even sound throughout. In total, 32 Optimal Audio Cuboid 6 and a pair of Cuboid 3 were distributed across the zones, painted grilles helping them disappear into the interior. Full-range, two-way passive enclosures built for short-to-medium throw, the Cuboids left plenty of headroom for clear vocals, crisp highs and bass to spare.

The client had also insisted the stage be fully equipped, so visiting bands could turn up without their own PA. Two Cuboid 8 run in stereo answered for live nights, with a Sub 10 recessed beneath the stage to support the low end.

Complementing the sound itself, EMS Le Mans delivered simple control in the form of WebApp, Optimal Audio’s browser-based control environment. Easy and intuitive enough for any of the staff to operate, it also sets Optimal Audio apart. “Optimal Audio was the first brand where I found a zone controller with a built-in web interface,” explained EMS Le Mans’ Corentin Deleplancque. “I had installed a four-zone matrix on a smaller project before, and I thought of Zone 8 for Revellata straight away.” The entire configuration was built through it, every zone, input and output set from any device on the network with nothing to download or install.

WebApp’s automated routines set the table before anyone arrives. The day was scheduled once so that presets, sources and levels move on their own between lunch and dinner service, with the system resetting to its base configuration each morning. The staff only ever meet a clean touchscreen showing volume, source and preset recall, with everything else tucked safely behind a PIN.

Quick to credit the results, Deleplancque confirmed: “I find the sound quality excellent, and I’m delighted with WebApp, which allows the team to operate the system with confidence, without having to tinker with the equipment rack.” He added: “It makes it easy to add the features my client will inevitably request down the line.”

Photography: Daniel Dobrovszki, Armin Speil, Oliver Toth, MateLeblanc