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The Jane

Bar and restaurant Antwerp - Belgium
Scoring a hat-trick: Third Pioneer PRO AUDIO installation at The Jane completes an immersive sonic experience

Visionary chef Nick Bril wanted his Antwerp restaurant, The Jane, to be a “total experience” for diners: a fusion of gastronomy, great music and exciting cocktails with an energetic yet relaxed vibe. On finding a huge rundown church, he assembled a team of acclaimed architects and designers to make the dream a reality. Music was a key ingredient, so he asked Pioneer PRO AUDIO to create a sound system that could provide a comfortable level of sound in the restaurant and an energetic, pre-clubbing vibe in the mezzanine bar.

 

Since opening its doors in 2014, The Jane has become renowned for its amazing food (it’s earned two Michelin stars) and unique atmosphere, thanks partly to the sound system which was installed in two phases. Recently, the restaurant’s owner called on Pioneer PRO AUDIO for a third time, to replace the speakers from another brand in various zones of the venue and create an immersive sound experience that would envelop customers from every angle.

“It’s really nice to see that, even in a big space like this, you can create an intense, musical experience without pushing the volume limits. It’s achieved through the quality of the speakers and how they’re located. It balances perfectly.”
Nick Bril | Chef and co-owner | The Jane
The challenge

Creating a full audio experience

In the first two installations, Bril called on Pioneer PRO AUDIO to provide a system that would cover the restaurant’s two main areas. Downstairs offers fine dining for 75 people, while above is a 38-seater bar area where guests can share food, enjoy cocktails and listen to local and international DJs. Later in the evening, a pre-clubbing vibe fills the upstairs space and The Jane sometimes hosts special events where renowned DJs play to the whole venue.

 

Until recently, speakers from another brand provided sound in several areas of The Jane, including the terrace, lobby, bathrooms and wine cellar. Chef and Owner Nick Bril was keen to change this. “When their ceiling speakers were released, I couldn’t say no to a full Pioneer PRO AUDIO system,” he explains. But the new additions would need to integrate seamlessly with the existing set-up, which was always intended to create a special listening experience. As Bril explained at the time of the first installation at The Jane, “We wanted the music to be like a waterfall – with more intensity upstairs, yet diners downstairs still being able to appreciate the full range of the sound flowing into the restaurant.” But it would be no mean feat, considering the ancient and unusually shaped construction of the building.

“I wanted to create a synergy between the worlds of great food and music. To bring it all together and give people a complete experience.”
Nick Bril | Chef and owner | The Jane
The solution

Sonic synergy

Once again, Pioneer PRO AUDIO teamed up with The Jane’s local installation partner Discostore to complete a sound system that would give full coverage throughout the venue. Units from the CM ceiling mount series, as well as XY series loudspeakers and subwoofers, were used to replace those in the terrace, lobby, bathrooms and wine cellar. They helped complement the sound created by the existing XY series speakers in the main dining area and upstairs bar.

 

The system is driven by two Powersoft amps – one K3 and one K2 – both with built-in DSP and Pioneer PRO AUDIOpre-sets. The team used Armonía Pro Audio software, which gives the management and installers remote access to the amps, day and night. “We’re able to shape the sound atmosphere and colour to create different day and night-time experiences,” says Bril. “We can make it more clubby or more relaxing. We can influence how people are going to respond to the audio. The Jane is a chapel filled with vibes. It’s unique.”

 

How did the installation go, considering the many acoustic challenges posed by the construction of the vast old church – with its high ceilings and various reflective surfaces such as the tiled floors and stained-glass windows? “It all happened smoothly,” says The Jane’s owner, Bril. “The demo and testing was easy, and our usual installer Discostore did the fine-tuning without any problems.”

“Pioneer PRO AUDIO is my heart. From the personal service and connection, to the pure sound experience. I can’t imagine using another audio brand for a full installation in my restaurant.”
Nick Bril, Chef and Owner, The Jane

The result

A waterfall of sound

The XY-81 speakers’ constant directivity horns and array configuration deliver a smooth SPL without any hotspots and enable music to travel through bar and dining areas of The Jane without loss of sound quality. The positioning of the XY-215S subwoofer takes full advantage of the building’s unique acoustics, spreading the bass throughout the venue – even at low volumes. And, with the new CM speakers and additional XY units installed in the smaller spaces, the set-up is now complete. “As we run the restaurant with a ‘full experience’ philosophy, these quality speakers only enhance the feeling for our guests,” explains Bril, adding, “I think our visitors enjoy experiencing quality sound and music without too much being thrown at them. The sound is an added element to the senses, helping people to relax.”

 

Even though he has his turnkey audio solution, Bril doesn’t want to stop there. In fact, he already has plans in the pipeline. “I’m working on a collaborative audio/video project with the Pioneer PRO AUDIO speakers,” he says. But he’s not sharing the full details just yet. “The ceiling speakers will come together with projections to create a unique experience. But I’ll reveal more about this soon.”

The Jane is the latest in a line of world-renowned brands and venues to partner with Pioneer PRO AUDIO. Since launching in 2013, the versatile range of Pioneer PRO AUDIO speakers has been installed at clubs and festivals including Sankeys, KM5 and Ushuaia Tower in Ibiza, fabric, Lovebox and the Defected headquarters in London, Café D’Anvers in Antwerp, and Sound Nightclub in Los Angeles.

“You can actually feel the quality of the sound. It’s clear, it’s warm and it wraps around you wherever you are in the building.”
Nick Bril | Chef and Owner | The Jane
ESC

At a glance

Scoring a hat-trick: Third Pioneer PRO AUDIO installation at The Jane completes an immersive sonic experience
Bar and restaurant Antwerp - Belgium
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PEE_CASE-STUDY_THE_JANE_12pp-LR
Main area
XY-81
6 installed
Upstairs bar
XY-81
6 installed
Upstairs bar
XY-215S
1 installed
Lobby
XY-81
2 installed
Terrace
CM-C56T
4 installed
Kitchen
XY-81
2 installed
Wine Cellar
XY-81
2 installed
Wine Cellar
XY-115S
1 installed
Bathrooms
CM-C56T
10 installed

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