International Latin American restaurant group COYA has chosen a matched NEXO-Yamaha sound reinforcement and background music system for its new 170-cover restaurant and bar in the City of London. Located just a stone’s throw from the Bank of England, COYA is a day-to-night venue which makes clever use of its zoned audio specification to set the mood and strengthen the identity of its brand.
COYA Angel Court is the second London site for the group, which has already won several awards for its flagship Mayfair venue. The new 4,500 sq. ft. space incorporates a contemporary Peruvian restaurant and a buzzing Latin American bar, the Pisco Lounge. Styled by the Sagrada design team, vibrant colours, Peruvian trinkets and hand-crafted furniture guide COYA’s guests through Peru’s historic and modern hallmarks, from Incas and conquistadores to ceviche and Pisco Sour cocktails.
London-based AV design and installation company Vibasound was asked to specify a sound system that would play a key role in the dining and entertainment experience. 6 months prior, Vibasound had upgraded the sound system for the Pisco Lounge in Mayfair, choosing a winning combination of NEXO’s super-compact ID Series full range loudspeakers and ID S110i subbass cabinets. Vibasound’s Peter Kellet again opted for the NEXO formula at Angel Court, adding Yamaha processors and software to customise the capabilities of the system with smart zoning and touchscreen control.
COYA Angel Court’s clever audio system has evolved from an excellent working relationship between Vibasound’s Kellet and COYA manager Nizar Bel Hadj, who has taken a detailed interest in its design.
“Our guests begin their COYA journey in the Pisco Lounge, so the audio plays an essential role in creating the atmosphere,” explains Nizar. “Part of COYA’s identity is the upbeat environment at the bar, and here the sound and lighting are the most important things. The quality of sound is very high, which gives the impression that the music is loud, but you can still clearly hear conversation.”
Vibasound has installed 8x NEXO ID24 loudspeakers into the open ceiling, flown on custom-made bracketry and mounted in front of the bar so that bar-staff are not competing with the audio output. Two NEXO ID S110i subs are also flown above the bar area, where the SPLs can rise as live DJs aim to attract the after-work crowd.
In the restaurant and ancillary areas, Vibasound has installed Yamaha VXS-5 5” compact speakers for discreet background music delivery, and designated 7 different audio zones. A Yamaha MTX3 8×8 digital processor allows the levels of audio in the bar, restaurant, private dining room and toilets to be independently controlled from an iPad.
“This is the first time we’ve given the manager complete control of his installed system, via the iPad,” says Peter Kellet. “Nizar now has tablet-mounted discretionary control in his hands. He can use the presets which have been structured according to different times of day, or he can manage the output of a DJ from the Pisco Lounge all the way through to the restaurant.”
“We are definitely seeing a trend for restaurants becoming more savvy and particular about their audio requirements. I am able to recommend high-quality loudspeakers like NEXO ID Series, because budgets are increasing as clients understand the value of a main system used with live music and DJs.”
COYA Angel Court’s entire audio system is powered by one NEXO DTD Amplifier, teamed with a DTD Controller.
Further information:
Peter Kellet, Vibasound
Tel: +44 (0)208 891 4472