THE OTHER SIDE / AMSTERDAM

World’s First Nightclub L-ISA Spatial Audio Install

Located in a former bicycle workshop that’s been transformed into a nightclub as well as a record label and agency representing DJs and producers, The Other Side has put itself squarely at the forefront of European nightlife with its new L-ISA spatial audio system.

The world’s first nightclub to offer an L-ISA immersive experience, The Other Side’s main, 900-capacity room boasts a fully immersive 14.1.5 L-ISA configuration designed to wrap the audience in a 360-degree auditory experience. The system offers a unique and creative palette for artists and takes the nightclub experience to a whole new level for revellers.

Doeshka Vrede and Jasper Löwik, the multi-hyphenate duo behind The Other Side – in addition to owning and managing the club, both are producers, musicians, and artist managers – explained that from the outset, optimum audio quality was at the forefront of their minds. “The Other Side is a place where artists grow, creativity flows, and self-expression is the name of the game,” explains Vrede. “If you start a club like this, the main product has to be sound.” The couple has worked with Stefan Liem, sound engineer and spatial audio expert, to ensure their vision. Liem, already familiar with L-Acoustics and L-ISA spatial technology, relished the opportunity to deploy such groundbreaking technology.

Working with Netherlands-based L-Acoustics Certified Provider Audio Solvation, Liem designed a 5.1 Scene system comprised of one A15 Focus and one A15 Wide per hang. Nine X12 coaxial enclosures provide surround, three each on the left, right, and back walls.

Five further X12 are placed in the ceiling for overhead sound. Two stacks of four KS21 subwoofers are placed on either side of the stage for low-end extension, and two X8 coaxials are situated near the DJ booth for front-fill. The system is powered by one LA7.16i and five LA4X amplified controllers.

Immersive sound turns a venue into a creative instrument

Visiting DJs choose how they wish to use the technology – they can perform in stereo using L-ISA Stereo Mapper functionality, or they can delve into the immersive capacities and explore the creative potential of L-ISA to the fullest, with Liem’s guidance. “He’s our sound wizard – he uses the space as an instrument,” says Vrede.

“L-ISA is amazing,” says Liem. It was really important for The Other Side to be at the forefront of technology, to bring new experiences to our audience, and to have a high level of involvement from the artists who want to use it. All the right assets were there to get this whole project moving, and L-ISA has been much more stable than other immersive technologies that I’ve worked with. We needed everything to work seamlessly, and L-ISA does that.”

The best sound system in Amsterdam

Looking forward, Vrede is excited about what the future holds for The Other Side and how they can continue to push boundaries. “Since opening in November, we’ve created a big buzz,” she exclaimed. “Many people talk about the sound system being the best in Amsterdam. It’s a new experience for both the audience and the performers. Everyone is excited to be a part of it.”

Photos by Tim Goodacre and Josh McDowell