The Cologne venue has undergone a full audio overhaul to ensure an elevated dance experience
COLOGNE, Germany – May 2024 – At Bootshaus, you’ll find flame throwers, fog machines and lasers. But don’t let the pyrotechnics fool you; here in the world’s number five-ranked club, it’s the sound that’s number one. “Upgrading to L-Acoustics helps us keep our coveted position as one of the best clubs in the world. Bootshaus has always been recognised for prizing sound over visuals. Sound is super important to us,” boasts Tom Thomas, Managing Director at Bootshaus.
For 20 years, Bootshaus has curated a mix of electro-house, dubstep, and drum’n’bass for clubgoers. One of the country’s first techno-culture hubs, Bootshaus built a reputation inside Germany, where it consistently ranks #1 in the nation. On the world stage, the club ranks #5, and its brand extends beyond club walls to curated festivals throughout Germany. Within those 1,900-cap walls, which include three dance floors, each with its own DJ booth, and a large outdoor area overlooking the Rhine. clubgoers have danced to the likes of Skrillex, David Guetta, Diplo, and Avicii.
Getting sound to each of the dance floors has been difficult, and the previous system, installed over a decade ago, wasn’t reaching the full space. “Together with L-Acoustics, we are ushering in a new era at Bootshaus,” explains Thomas. “This new system promises to fill the Bootshaus with an unprecedented sound experience and offer our guests a completely new musical experience.”
L-Acoustics Certified Provider Distributor Babbel & Haeger was tasked with specifying the perfect system for the venue in consultation with production company Laserframe, whose relationship with Bootshaus extends over almost two decades. According to Babbel & Haeger’s Application Delegate Tobias Hemmersbach, L-Acoustics mapping software Soundvision was invaluable in helping the team arrive at the perfect solution. “We only had 20-year-old, 2D files, but things have changed a lot there in that time,” he explains. “Because of all the different areas and heights of the venue – the dancefloor being the lowest point and the VIP decks being on the roof of the building – Soundvision was very crucial to simulating all the various heights of the different venue spaces and to achieving Bootshaus’ audio objectives for each one.”
Tobias and his team landed on a final design comprising left/right hangs of two A15 Focus over one A15 Wide on either side of the DJ booth for the main dance floor. Seven KS28 subwoofers embedded under the stage provide a low-end thump. Two further hangs of one A15 Focus over one A15 Wide ensure the entire floor is filled with energy. Nine X12 coaxial enclosures are used throughout the remaining spaces to ensure even, dynamic coverage. For the upper VIP Deck, three X12 and two KS21 subwoofers cover the space. DJs are treated to monitoring via one A15 Wide and one KS21 per side.
“Already, our audience recognises a major quality upgrade in the sound,” Thomas beams. “We’ve achieved everything we wanted – great quality audio throughout, and of course, the excellent low-end that clubgoers expect. We have a lot of very happy DJs now.” Today, Thomas is thrilled not only with the new sound system at Bootshaus, but also with the opportunity to usher in a new era of audio innovation. “The investment underlines our commitment to exceeding guest expectations and to staying at the forefront of the club scene,” he says.
“We invite all music lovers to experience this exciting new era with us. Be ready to become part of a revolutionary sound journey in the boathouse. It will captivate you and never let go,” Thomas concludes.
About L-Acoustics
L-Acoustics is renowned for developing innovative sound systems and technologies that elevate the listening experience. Founded in France in 1984, L-Acoustics currently employs 800 team members worldwide, with headquarters in Paris, Los Angeles, London, and Singapore. Recognized for pioneering the line source array, L-Acoustics continues to shape the future of sound with solutions such as the L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology, which offers 3D multi-dimensional audio. L-Acoustics also offers exceptional concert-grade sound systems and immersive sound spaces for residential and architectural environments. In recognition of introducing these groundbreaking creative technologies, L-Acoustics was named one of Fast Company‘s Most Innovative Companies of 2020 and 2023.
L-Acoustics sound systems can be heard around the globe in venues like the Hollywood Bowl and the Philharmonie de Paris, at the world’s top-grossing festivals such as Coachella and Tomorrowland, international special events like the World Expo 2020 and World Cup 2022, and on tour with world-class artists such as Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Arctic Monkeys, and Jacky Cheung, and in the Las Vegas residencies of Katy Perry, Adele, and more.
