Unit 27 Apartment Bar & Cafe: Good Food + Good Music

I have witnessed the progress of Bonifacio Global City and its food scene from 1998 to what it is today.  It has now become the perfect place for restaurants, new malls, retail stores, hotels, and company offices.  One very special restaurant that opened in 2015 is Unit 27 Apartment Bar & Café.  It is special to me not only because of its good food, but because I designed and installed the sound system to complete the homey ambiance through good music to its customers.

"Welcome to your second home" is the vibe that greets you when you step inside this Instagram worthy place according to millennials.  The first floor serves as their all day brunch café that will really satisfy your cravings.  The second floor houses a vinyl listening station along with a bar type table with bar stools where you can also casually dine or have fun listening to good music with friends or just browse through your laptops while eating.

For those who want to party, head on to the third floor.  Upon reaching the top stair case, you will be greeted by the specially curated electronic dance music.  A VIP room is also available for exclusive events or parties.

My wife Tina is very much at home on the red bench

I can still remember back in early 2014, when I was crossing the street in Eastwood City, I heard someone call my name.  When I looked back, it was my good friend Francis Flores.  He was excited enough to show me in his iPad a rendered design of a bar that very much resembles his mid-modern century bachelor pad whose sound system I also designed and installed.

He told me that his bachelor pad is the prototype for the real bar that will be built in Bonifacio Global City.  He wants me to head the design and installation of the audio system for Unit 27 Apartment Bar & Café.

Francis knows what he wants, so he specifically told me that he wanted the following:

1.  A sound system that is warm sounding for the brunch café.

2.  A sound system that is heard on most zones and subspaces.

3.  A compact sound system that will blend with the interior's aesthetics.

4.  A sound system tuning that will not interfere with the customers conversations.

5.  A sound system that has minimal ear fatigue.

6.  A bar and VIP room sound system that can handle high SPL (sound pressure level) for electronic dance music as background music.

7.  A sound system that can integrate music from the bar (third floor) to the café (first floor) during all night house parties.

8.  A sound system that is compatible to an Apple iPad/iPhone or any multi-media player as music source.

My first site inspection with the Game Changers Inc.  On photo above (from left to right):  Michelle Punongbayan, Mickey Villa (Audio Artist Manila), Atty. Ping de Jesus, Ryan Flores, Michael Carandang, Thor Balanon (Space Encounters), Wilmer Lopez (Space Encounters) and Francis Flores.

Feel at home!

  Ten compact speakers and an active subwoofer were installed at the brunch café area.  No matter where you sit, good music will get you covered.

Hanging out with Tina and my In-laws for a scrumptious brunch.

Good food goes along with good music.

The poster couldn't have said it better

Vinyl listening station on the second level.  You can also order food and drinks from here. 

Internet connectivity? No problem.

Wharfedale Denton's 80th anniversary edition speakers (UK brand).  This limited edition model matches the mid-century modern design of Unit 27.  The original Denton model hit the market in the 1960's and became one of their best selling model.  The retro looking speakers now come with the latest technology that gave it excellent reviews.

Rega RP1 turntable with upgraded Rega Carbon stylus. Made in UK.

        

Speaker grills attached to prevent poking fingers from damaging the speaker drivers.

NAD 316BEE stereo integrated amplifier with Rega Fono Mini phono stage.

Party the night away at the third floor.  Tina chillin' on a Papa bear chair.

Twelve compact high SPL speakers were chosen to blend with the bar.  It was strategically mounted so that resident party goers can still have a good conversation.  There is nothing more annoying than having to shout each time you speak just to be heard.

A speaker mounted beside the bar's multi-faceted art installation by artist, Leeroy New. 

EMT conduit pipes were used to lay-out and conceal all the oxygen-free copper speaker wires.  An industrial look that's safe and clutter free wiring all the way.  Another speaker mounted beside the Converse art installation also by Leeroy New.

Two 15-inch active subwoofers handles the low bass at the bar and VIP area. 

"Start twerkin' like Miley".

Fabricated speaker brackets at the VIP room to make way for the ducting at the ceiling.

  

A Bose outdoor speaker were mounted just outside the entrance.  It mirrors the same music playing inside Unit 27.

Together with Francis Flores during our listening test.  I used a laptop with Apple lossless files (ALAC) to test the dynamic range of the system at Unit 27.  He says, he likes the way it was put together, and most of all, he likes the sound.  Francis is also an avid listener of good music.  It shows from his vinyl collection to his digital tunes on his iPhone.

If you need help in creating the proper sound ambiance on the following:

• Retail stores
• Malls
• Cafés
• Restaurants
• Bars
• Hotels
• Resorts
• Spas
• Salons
• Home

Or any other business that requires a quality sound system installation,  just send me an email at: audioartistmanila@gmail.com. 

Creating Store Ambiance Through Sound

Dear Audio Clients,

Have you ever wondered why you have your favorite retail stores, restaurants, cafe's and malls?  Aside from their great products and services, you feel at home shopping or eating there.  The answer is - Store ambience.  To truly create a vivid experience for shoppers, retailers invest a lot to take their brand to the shoppers senses.

According to a survey of 1,000 female shoppers in UK, store ambiance is more important than location and service.

Let's zoom in on one of the most overlooked senses that makes an excellent store ambiance - Sound.  Nowadays,  I'm happy to see that a lot of retail store owners are now becoming aware that Sound is key to stimulate purchasing behavior.  It calms and makes shoppers stay longer for a pleasant buying experience.

Let me introduce to you one of my clients - Donna Pacho, VP of Townes Inc.  A second generation executive, she sure knows that store ambience is important for their customers. Townes Inc. is a 45 year old company in Pasay road, Makati City.  They offer quality designer fabrics and home accessories sourced around the globe.  It's also the go-to store of the country's top interior designers for their big projects.

From left to right:  Mrs. Elita Pacho (President),  Mickey Villa (Audio Artist Manila) and

Donna Pacho (Vice President)

Donna approached me to upgrade their sound system.  The old system consisted of different home/commercial speakers put together by an electrician (not an audio specialist) that resulted in uneven sound levels through out the shop floor.   

Because it had home audio speakers, they were limited to put speakers on some corners only, which resulted to some spaces not receiving any music at all.  She wanted to make sure that the new store's audio was heard in every zone of the shop floor (two floors) as well as the basement parking.

Quad speakers (UK brand) were used on this project

Almost all subspaces have a dedicated speaker

A 70-volt line power amplifier (57 lbs.) were used to power 16 speakers.

We also integrated their existing paging mic for easier communication through out the shop floor. 

Donna wanted to add a modern touch by infusing a playlist that reflects the time of day.  From Diana Krall to the upbeat music of D'Sound that will surely fill in a lazy afternoon.

Donna wanted the convenience of an Apple Ipod source to their advantage.  We used Apple Lossless files (ALAC) over compressed MP3 files for better sound quality.  She also made sure that her mom, Mrs. Elita Pacho, President of Townes Inc., could still pop a CD from her huge collection garnered through the years.  Her mom knows the sound quality of original CDs.  It was so cool that she has a CD of Tony Bennett's duet with Lady Gaga (Cheek to Cheek album) playing whenever she has a meeting with her loyal clients.  For this one, an Onkyo 6 disc changer was also installed.

Now, their clients feel more relaxed finding their perfect designer fabrics for their dream projects.  Even the whole staff of Townes feel great working everyday.  Thanks to their passionate VP of Townes Inc., Donna Pacho, who constantly thinks of clients as well as their loyal staff.

If you need help in creating the proper sound ambiance on the following:

• Retail stores
• Malls
• Cafés
• Restaurants
• Bars
• Hotels
• Resorts
• Spas
• Salons

Or any other business that requires a quality sound system installation,  just send me an email at: audioartistmanila@gmail.com