JBL Control for Tunnels Beaches

JP Leisure installs more JBL inside and outside at stunning North Devon wedding venue …

Nestled spectacularly into the cliffs above its own private beach near Ilfracombe in Devon, Tunnels Beaches is a spectacular bespoke wedding venue which offers its guests unspoiled coastal views and exceptional facilities. As a result of the venue’s overwhelming popularity, its owners recently revamped and extended those facilities to improve its layout for an even better guest experience, allowing larger gatherings to take advantage of its relaxed and truly stunning environment.
 
Excellent audio for live and background music is a vital element in a high-end hospitality setting such as Tunnels Beaches, and with this in mind, the venue took the opportunity to expand its sound system as part of the project. Tunnels Beaches engaged experienced local audio-visual specialist JP Leisure, who had installed the venue’s original JBL system, to carry out the work.
 

Jon Powell of JP Leisure is a long-time JBL devotee, who has been using the brand since the mid-1990s, as he explains:
 
“My first installs with JBL Control units powered by Crown amplification were a long time ago but are still going strong today! Those were commercial and residential jobs, and things just expanded from there. I’ve lost count of the amount of JBL Control loudspeakers we’ve put into pubs, clubs, venues, gyms, and spas in North Devon and beyond. They need to withstand some pretty tough weather conditions on outside terraces in close proximity to the sea, and that was definitely the case at Tunnels Beaches.”

The latest major upgrade at Tunnels Beaches improved venue’s flexibility, allowing it to host larger gatherings, whilst creating extra spaces that could be deployed for smaller occasions. The work involved significantly extending the footprint of the building and its outdoor terrace, which in turn required greater audio coverage. Jon continues:
 
“The JBL system in place, which had worked flawlessly for a decade, had already enjoyed some additions during a previous extension, but this major upgrade saw us significantly increase the number of loudspeakers throughout.”
 
The JBL Control Series, distributed in the UK by Live Technology, is a highly versatile line of compact, commercial and residential loudspeakers relied on for their ruggedness and consistent dispersion. Part of the range includes weather-resistant commercial installation speakers, some of which feature prominently at Tunnels Beaches.

The extended terrace now benefits from 8 x JBL Control 29AV units with Marine Grille kits, and a further 2 x Control 25AV for the roof terrace. A total of 22 x JBL Control 25-1 serve the lower bar, terrace lounge, indoor ceremony room, chill-out room, and WCs, whilst the main function room is equipped with 4 x JBL SRX 715 high-power, lightweight 2-way passive loudspeakers and 2 x SRX 818 subs, all driven by Crown amplification.
 
The Tunnels Beaches team are very happy with the audio quality of their expanded system as well as the discreet aesthetic of the JBL units, which blend effortlessly into their stunning environment. For Jon Powell and JP Leisure, the brand represents fantastic value in terms of quality and reliability, and has become a firm go-to for commercial settings:
 
“As soon as the Tunnels Beaches install was complete, we were straight on to designing, installing, and commissioning another series of installs for bowling alley/sports bar locations in the South West and Wales. Again, we’ll be using JBL Control for the all the outside elements.”