Just because a venue is located in a small town and prides itself on its community links and support for local artists doesn't mean that it is content with being simply average. The Godset Rock Club in Kolding, Denmark is an excellent case in point. Managing director, Christian Haugk clarifies for the uninitiated, "Although we are not a large community, the local government has been consistently supportive in our efforts to create a set of rehearsal rooms and a live venue that has quality written all over it.
"The Godset is run by an amalgam of volunteers and music organisations and provides a wonderful platform for developing grass roots talent, but our commitment to professional quality means that we have a national profile that attracts acts of international stature. Our success provides a feel good factor that politicians recognise as something of a vote winner, so even in a time of financial restraint we managed to convince them to invest in Godset when we needed to refurbish the venue and renew our PA."
"The very first demo of the d&b audiotechnik V-Series was here at the Godset and I knew then it was what we wanted. Our aim has always been to make Godset one of the leading live venues in Denmark and I believe that in order to deliver we need to be able to set the agenda from a technical point of view. We have made a success of the Godset through remaining committed to quality and the policy of no compromise, and I feel that d&b audiotechnik share those values: their products and company ethos reflect them very clearly."
Haugk turned to Lars Frederiksen, managing director of local d&b audiotechnik Distributor, Alfa Audio who is very familiar with the Godset himself, "The Godset is a multipurpose venue containing 10 rehearsal rooms which each have a small PA and recording equipment in addition to the main performance hall. The name means cargo in Danish, it is an old cargo railway hub built between the station and the docks that lie at the head of the Kolding Fjord. Its architecture made the conversion to a live venue in 2001 pretty straightforward; the main hall was acoustically treated so although the central roof space is V shaped it actually sounds very good."
A combination of d&b V8 and V12 loudspeakers were chosen from the V-Series range flown in a left and right configuration. These are supported at the low end frequencies by ground stacked V-SUBs while a J-SUB and J-INFRA subwoofer are placed in the centre under the stage, all driven by D12 amplifiers. On stage d&b M4 monitors have been picked to cover the foldback system. The entire installation was supervised by Alfa Audio who also gave advice on the stage acoustics and the PA specification.
"A real challenge that both Christian and I recognised in the design phase were the wooden beams that cut across the room. Ideally we wanted to fly the arrays a little higher but we needed to shoot under the beams. In the end, once we had the loudspeakers in the room, the combination of the room acoustics and the tight dispersion pattern of the V-Series meant our concerns were groundless." Frederiksen certainly feels they have got it right, "The whole approach from Godset is one of no compromise; the staff work tirelessly to get the very best and, in my opinion, they have created one of, if not the best sounding music clubs in Denmark."
"We have been more than satisfied with the whole installation process," concurs Haugk. "Alfa Audio provided us with support and constructive advice all the way. Alfa Audio, to me, represents the natural extension of the values that d&b audiotechnik provides and stands for. I think you can say we are happy with the brand, the combination and the service."
The newly refurbished Godset Rock Club continues to present a packed and varied programme of acts, from the likes of newcomer pop artist Christopher and Danish jazz ensemble The Jan Kaspersen Quintet to international visitors such as The Corrs and Little Feat.