Chill Bar

Bar and restaurant Palm Springs, CA - USA
Palm Springs' hot spot turns to Pioneer Pro Audio and the XY series loudspeakers for a cool new sound.

Known for its raging parties, over-the-top theme nights, drag shows, and A-List electronic music performances, Chill Bar has become a Palm Springs party destination. With popular ‘80s and ‘90s nights, to house music and hip-hop DJs, Chill Bar has something for everyone. Driven with a focus on delivering an excellent customer experience, Chill Bar recently installed a new Pioneer Pro Audio sound reinforcement system to take their soundscape and business to the next level.

After Chill Bar Resident DJ and AV Production Manager, Jim Gokey visited the iconic Abbey Bar in West Hollywood, he was blown away with how incredibly clear and crisp the sound system was in the always-packed club. Knowing he needed to make an upgrade to the Chill Bar system, Gokey connected with the owner of the Abbey, and learned that their secret to delivering superior sound is the XY Series loudspeaker system from Pioneer Pro Audio.

The Chill Bar main room is long and narrow with a low ceiling and it needs a system like the XY Series that has the proper amount of throw and control to fill the space with a pleasing, crisp but still powerful sound.
Alex Montenegro | Owner/System Designer - Sonus Systems

Chill Bar was previously outfitted with a sound system that was too large and dominated the space, making the sound harsh, unintelligible, and overwhelming for guests. The team had been discussing a sound system upgrade for some time, but hadn’t yet determined the right solution.

Chill Bar brought in Alex Montenegro, Owner and System Designer, for Sonus Systems of Granada Hills, California — a Pioneer Pro Audio reseller and installer — specifically to specify an XY Series system. Sonus Systems has been designing and installing home theaters, background music, AV networks and performance reinforcement systems for over 20 years.

“We did a survey of the space and existing sound system and quickly realized that it’s sonic coverage was full of hot spots and dead spots, and that it had a harsh sound that had to be turned up way too loud to compensate for the bad coverage. Bad time alignment also added to a bad audience experience,” said Montenegro. “The Chill Bar main room is long and narrow with a low ceiling and it needs a system like the XY Series that has the proper amount of throw and control to fill the space with a pleasing, crisp but still powerful sound.”

After consulting with Sonus Systems and hearing Pioneer Pro Audio at the Abbey in Hollywood, the Chill Bar team decided on the perfect solution.

The XY Series is a versatile family of high-performance PA and monitor speakers that are compact and perfect for near-field monitoring — yet deliver smooth, accurate, high-quality sound across the entire space. Pioneer Pro Audio systems are renowned for their ability to deliver a high SPL and punch, but with a smooth sound that perfectly fits the fidelity and dynamics of electronic dance music.

“Pioneer Pro Audio is an ideal solution for a space like this,” explained Montenegro. “We mounted four XY-3B enclosures in a horizontal orientation to compensate for the low ceiling, and also worked in subs and performer monitors. Together with a set of appropriate Powersoft amplifiers, we created a system perfectly scaled for the needs of the space.”

The XY Series’ unique high and mid-range blended design produces a tightly controlled sound dispersion for an extraordinarily natural sound. This powerful wave can be thrown a great distance, filling all corners of a room with bass, punch, and clarity that is powerfully comfortable for the audience. Because of the cabinets’ unique design, a reduced number of boxes are needed as compared to other systems, making the XY Series easy to transport, set-up, and install.

Installing the Pioneer Pro Audio system transformed Chill Bar for the better. The quality and clarity of the system has created an entirely improved experience for guests and performers alike – with the owners noting a significant increase in revenue since the install.

“When we powered up the system for the first time, the improvement was immediately apparent. We got great output and natural-sounding clarity from the XY system — even at SPL levels that the room had never heard before,” said Montenegro. “We came in for a few weekends at peak performance times to finish tuning the system and all the regular customers were talking about how great the system sounded and what a good time they were having.”

Many DJs and patrons commented on the improvements to the sound system and resulting atmosphere of the club. Bigger isn’t always better. After Sonus Systems removed the overbearing, unpolished sound system in favor of Pioneer Pro Audio, it proved to be just what Chill Bar needed.

By completely revamping our sound we’re now attracting bigger-name performers, larger crowds and more business. After experiencing the XY Series at Abbey Bar, we expected big improvement, but this has really taken us to the next level. It was a perfect move for us.
Jim Gokey | Resident DJ and AV Production ManagerI

At a glance

Palm Springs' hot spot turns to Pioneer Pro Audio and the XY series loudspeakers for a cool new sound.
Bar and restaurant Palm Springs, CA - USA
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