Stout NYC

The Venue:
Stout NYC, a multi-level, 18,000-square-foot Irish-style pub adjacent to Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan.

The Challenge:
Deliver foreground music in the main bar area as well as in the public and private dining areas, create a balance between background music and audio from multiple flat-screen televisions, and provide patrons the ability to comfortably converse.

The Solution:
A combination of Bose® Panaray® 402® loudspeakers, Bose Panaray LT MB24 modular loudspeakers, and a Bose ControlSpace® ESP-88 engineered sound processor.

The Result:
Music with detail and presence, unobtrusive equipment and easy-to-use controls. The versatile system provides high quality background music to quieter areas on the lower level and high-energy sound to patrons in upstairs bar areas.

With cobblestone floors and stone walls, Stout NYC has successfully recreated the feel of an old Irish town square. Patrons flock to the midtown Manhattan location to enjoy the upscale pub cuisine, unrivaled atmosphere and, of course, the wide offering of beers—with 20 on tap and more than 100 bottled selections.

The pub is enormous—18,000 square feet spread over three levels, a 60-foot main bar, numerous function rooms, dining banquettes, 19 oversized flat-screen televisions and a music stage for live music. Sound plays an important role throughout the facility, so Stout needed an audio solution that would provide an atmosphere conducive to enjoyment while blending seamlessly into the environment.

"Stout has live music, loud music, ambient music, quieter areas and televisions to broadcast sports," explains Hector Martinez, partner with Star View Satellite, an authorized Bose dealer. "In designing the solution, we had to make room for everything they do."

No detail overlooked
Star View Satellite and Bose Corporation worked closely with Stout's owners and architects in designing the sound system.

"The owners and architects demanded a certain look," Martinez says. "They were very particular about having the speakers perfectly match the décor, blending into the surroundings in an unobtrusive way. The goal was for patrons to hear quality music without seeing big speakers."

Star View Satellite and Richard Trombitas, Bose Corporation territory representative, designed a solution that Trombitas says, "is the equivalent of a very serious nightclub system with a much larger footprint."

"It was critical to have a system installed downstairs to accommodate high quality background music, yet still have the capacity to meet the entertainment demands of a 2 a.m. Manhattan pub crowd on a Saturday night," Trombitas says.

A complete audio solution that's easy to use
Bose and Star View Satellite created a solution built around Bose® Panaray® 402® loudspeakers, Bose Panaray LT MB24 modular bass loudspeakers and a Bose ControlSpace® ESP-88 engineered sound processor.

Bose Panaray 402 loudspeakers provide superior performance without the bulk of conventional professional speakers. The loudspeakers contain four proprietary 4.5-inch full-range drivers and active EQ to reproduce vocals and acoustic instruments with clarity and detail. The Bose ControlSpace ESP-88 sound processor delivers powerful, flexible and sophisticated signal processing that non-professionals can easily use—
a key factor for Stout management.

"While the system was being installed I thought 'what are we doing?' and 'what have we done?'" says Noelle Mooney, Stout NYC co-owner. "But they know the bar business, they understand how we work, they spent a lot of time with us making sure the system was operating exactly as it should."

And the team from Bose and Star View Satellite are there to support the system for Stout NYC. "The people at Stout know they can call us any time of the day or night," Martinez says. "And we have a great relationship with Bose that allows us to quickly respond to customer needs. Our goal for them is not to have to think about the system, just enjoy it."

Results exceed expectations
With the Bose system, Stout NYC gets the sound they want to enhance the customer experience in each area of the facility.

"It's always a giveaway that the sound system is doing its job when people are up and singing and dancing," Trombitas says.

"Music and sound can absolutely drive the atmosphere here," Mooney says. "You always have to be aware of sound levels, making sure people can talk to each other, but also making sure that when the music is pumping people are feeling it, moving to it."

All of which you can see just about any night of the week at Stout NYC.