BLOK Gym, Manchester
The Client
An award-winning boutique gym concept, BLOK operates out of three locations: Clapton, Shoreditch and Manchester. BLOK gym in Manchester is the first BLOK venue to be established outside the capital and can be found in the uber-trendy Ducie Street Warehouse development overlooking the Piccadilly Basin, Manchester, M1.
Offering a host of classes in a smart, buzzy environment including BLOKfit, Calisthenics, BLOKstrength, Power Yoga and BLOKsculpt, there are in fact more than 180 classes per week across 25 disciplines available to members.
BLOK gym is the ultimate fitness destination for London and Manchester.
Project Brief
We were invited by the founders of BLOK gym, Ed Stanbury and Max Oppenheim, to carry out the design and installation of the audio system at BLOK gym Manchester, having been introduced to Ed and Max whilst working at Cultureplex – now renamed Ducie Street Warehouse – where we were installing a large multi-zoned sound system in the restaurant/bar in the same building.
Ed and Max felt it made good commercial sense for us to carry out the work at BLOK gym in tandem with the project at Cultureplex.
System Solution
Sound Division designed a versatile, multi-zone system based on a range of Vue Audiotechnik i-Class premium installation loudspeakers combined with Crown amplification with processing and control from Cloud Electronics.
The company designated five audio zones spread across two levels: on the ground floor they include reception, female changing areas, Studio One and Studio Three. First floor audio zones are defined as Studio Two and the male changing area.
A Cloud Electronics DCM1e Digital Control Zone Mixer manages control and routing across all the zones. From a practical point of view, Cloud DCR remote wall controllers – one in each zone – offer independent audio source and volume selection.
Localised connection points for portable music devices and instructor headset microphones are provided in Studios 1, 2 and 3 (and the reception area) allowing instructors to use their own music players and wireless headset mics plugged in to the installed sound system.
“We opted for the Vue/Crown combination because it’s high-spec, professional equipment that is well suited to high SPL applications and sounds good even in challenging environments like a gym where there are typically lots of reflective surfaces,” says Sound Division’s David Graham. “The Cloud Electronics control system offers staff and instructors easy, individual control of their music source to create the atmosphere they need wherever they are in the building.”
The Result
Max Oppenheim is delighted with the results: “We offer a vast range of classes in our fitness studios, from high energy dance and BLOKfit sessions to yoga and pilates which require a much more zen-like atmosphere. The sound system needs to be able to handle both high SPLs and low-level music without sacrificing clarity or audio quality, whilst at the same time allowing our fitness instructors to plug in portable music players and wireless head mics. Sound Division has provided us with exactly what we wanted – the ability to deliver high-quality music and instruction in our classes at the levels required by the instructors, controlled locally in the studio, as well as chilled-out sounds – also controlled locally – for reception and the changing areas.”
BLOK Gym, Manchester
At a Glance
- Vue Audiotechnik i-Class i-4.5, i-6 & i-8 loudspeakers
- Cloud Digital DCM-1e Audio Zoning Processing
- Crown XLi-Series Amplification
- Sennheiser Wireless Mic Headsets