Despite their omission of classic swinging doors that outlaws could have once kicked through, Tour Supply Inc. and ELAN’s treatment of the 120-year-old Famous Saloon in Nashville, Tenn. turns heads – no matter which side of the bar one occupies.
The classic “keep the old but modernize” request came from the bar’s owner, who asked the Nashville integrator Tour Supply to design an automation system with modern control without compromising the space’s Southern charm.
An Old Bar Needs New Tricks: Inside the Famous Saloon
Famous Saloon isn’t the typical watering hole: it’s a destination venue, one which offers live music and hosts functions.
Because the mood of a particular guest musician’s music can change each night, the integration team needed to find a simple and reactive solution for controlling lighting and audio levels. Above all, Tour Supply needed to install something that busy bar staff could use without any roadblocks.
As is the case with many live event venues, security was an additional concern for bar owner May West. She wanted to have the capability to check in on the venue from outside of the building.
Of course, all of these problems required power; and while the old Nashville Saloon had an up-to-date electrical infrastructure, Tour Supply knew they needed a back-up power system.
How Tour Supply Fixed Up Famous Saloon
To cover the lighting and audio control element, the integrator installed one ELAN gSC10 Controller, accessible through a centrally located ELAN gTP7 and gTP12 touch panels and the ELAN App. This system also controls the bar’s security, audio and video. An ELAN gMV1616 Ultra Matrix Switcher was used to distribute audio and video to each of the bar’s four floors, including hundreds of speakers and 14 Sony 65” 4K TVs.
“ELAN helps to turn a big space into an easily manageable space. West and her staff can control any system remotely, including the systems indoors, outdoors or on stage. We built a really impressive—and reliable—system that integrates everything throughout the bar. It helps the staff to better manage operations, and it enhances the overall vibe for customers looking to have a great time.” – Chris Torri, integrator at Tour Supply.
Hundreds of Converging Systems RGB “tape light” LED strips were used underneath the bar and integrated with the ELAN system with time-specific “event maps.” This allowed all of the LED lighting throughout the venue to operate on a time schedule: in the morning, lights power on and create a pulsing effect; by evening, lights are ramped up into a dazzling, dancing display.
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The team created custom concert lighting scenes, accessible to West and her team with a mere tap on a screen. The ELAN App, installed on an iPad Mini, allows performers to adjust and customize stage lighting for their own show.
“All of Nashville’s musicians want to play here for this reason,” West said. “Between the high-end acoustics, and the control we give them over the lights, we’ve set a new standard for bar-performing bands. Every musician that plays here loves it, and asks to come back!”
Tour Supply says they relied on three Gefen GTB-HDBT-POL-BLK Extenders for HDMI to extend 4K video signals with no quality loss.
Security and Power at the Famous Saloon
The integrator used a Furman F1500-UPS with the AV system’s central equipment rack, with six Furman PST-8 power conditioners to guarantee all the components receive uninterrupted power.
“We get a lot of thunderstorms in Nashville,” West said, “and even during widespread power outages or surges, we have never had a problem.”
According to West, having instant accessibility to any system throughout the venue has completely transformed how the staff manages the bar.
“In this business, every day is unpredictable,” she said. “Having the ability to pull out my phone and turn on the bar’s music, or turn on the outdoor fans, from anywhere in the world, is exactly what I need to feel in control.”
Tour Supply’s Equipment Highlights:
ELAN gSC10 Controller
ELAN gTP7 and gTP12 touch panels
ELAN gMV1616 Ultra Matrix Switcher
Converging Systems RGB tape light LED strips
Lutron Lighting system
Furman F1500-UPS
