MALAYSIA: The livehouse format is finding fresh momentum across East and Southeast Asia, with audiences drawn to venues that combine the intimacy of a club with the production standards of a concert space. And Kuala Lumpur is now seeing its own addition to the growing scene, with the opening of Live House, a multi-format music venue built around an L-Acoustics A Series sound system.

Live House brings together live music, nightlife and dining in a setting designed to accommodate everything from house-band performances and touring artists to DJ sets. Its main performance floor is complemented by VIP suites on the upper level, overlooking the stage. The programming also reflects the venue’s broad musical brief, with house bands moving between Cantopop favourites and Western chart material, alongside a range of live entertainment formats.

For Live House, the brief called for a premium, concert-style experience with high speech intelligibility, substantial low-frequency performance and consistent coverage across both the main floor and elevated VIP areas. The system also had to work within a visually complex environment, preserving audience sightlines, integrating discreetly with the venue’s LED walls and minimising unwanted sound spill between levels. Equally important was the ability to reproduce very different programme material, from live bands and touring productions to high-energy DJ sets, without compromising consistency.

L-Acoustics’ A Series was selected for its combination of compact dimensions, high output capability, vocal clarity and controlled coverage. However, integrating the system into the venue presented a significant design challenge: the lighting rig had already been installed, limiting the available mounting positions and requiring the loudspeaker deployment to work around fixed rigging geometry and architectural constraints.

To address this, L-Acoustics Soundvision 3D acoustic modelling software was used to assess loudspeaker positioning and optimise coverage throughout the venue. The modelling process enabled the team to evaluate sound pressure level (SPL) distribution across the main performance floor and elevated VIP areas, identify potential acoustic reflections and establish appropriate coverage. It also helped maintain clearances from the LED walls and protect audience sightlines, ensuring that the acoustic design could be accommodated without compromising the venue’s visual environment.

The resulting main system comprises four L-Acoustics A15i Focus and one A15i Wide per side, forming the principal left and right hangs. Each side is reinforced by two KS28 subwoofers for low-frequency reproduction. An additional A15i Wide per side extends coverage towards the wider audience areas, while two further KS28 delay subwoofers per side provide additional low-frequency support. Across the main performance floor, six X8 enclosures provide front-fill coverage, while five X8i loudspeakers serve as delay speakers for the elevated VIP sofa area. The deployment is powered by six LA4X and two LA12X amplified controllers, providing the amplification and processing required to manage the system. Digital audio integration and signal distribution are handled through an LC16D AES/EBU-to-AVB interface, which incorporates onboard Asynchronous Sample Rate Converters (ASRCs), and two LS10 AVB switches supporting the Milan-AVB network infrastructure. System monitoring and control are managed through L-Acoustics Network Manager.

Beyond the loudspeaker configuration, the network architecture provides scope for the venue to expand its audio infrastructure as operational requirements evolve. The Milan-AVB platform allows additional loudspeakers, amplified controllers and processing capabilities to be incorporated without significant changes to the existing network infrastructure, giving Live House flexibility as its programming and production demands develop. The project encompassed system design, procurement, installation, commissioning and training, with close coordination between the audio team and the venue’s construction, lighting and video activities to meet the opening schedule.

“We are seeing encouraging growth in the livehouse entertainment market in Malaysia, particularly as audiences increasingly seek premium live music experiences in more intimate and engaging environments,” says Eric Chua, Regional Sales Manager at L-Acoustics. “As this market continues to evolve, there is also a growing recognition among venue owners and operators of the importance of investing in high-quality professional sound systems. Sound is no longer simply a technical requirement; it is a fundamental part of the overall entertainment experience and plays an important role in differentiating a venue from its competitors. We are delighted to see Live House Kuala Lumpur recognising the value of a premium audio brand like L-Acoustics and making sound quality a key priority in its venue development. This installation reflects our commitment to supporting the growing live entertainment industry in Malaysia and delivering exceptional sound experiences that connect artists and audiences.”

“The L-Acoustics A Series system has demonstrated its versatility and performance in delivering a consistent, high-quality listening experience throughout the venue,” says Kim Fai, Regional Application Engineer at L-Acoustics. “From live band performances to high-energy DJ sets, the system provides excellent vocal clarity, powerful low-frequency impact and even coverage across both the main floor and VIP areas. The result is a concert-grade sound experience that enhances audience engagement while giving the venue the flexibility to accommodate different performance formats.”

That flexibility is also reflected in the experience of the venue’s in-house sound engineering team, which works with the system across its varied entertainment programme.

“We are extremely delighted with the performance of the L-Acoustics system. The A Series delivers exceptional clarity, impressive dynamics and powerful low-frequency response, giving us the confidence and flexibility to manage everything from live band performances to high-energy DJ sets,” says Mr Paker, Sound Engineer at Live House Kuala Lumpur, as he concludes stating “What has impressed us equally is the level of technical support provided by the L-Acoustics team. Their dedication and expertise throughout the system optimisation and tuning process have been invaluable in ensuring that we can fully realise the system’s potential. It is reassuring to know that we have such strong support behind us, and we are very pleased with the overall sound quality and performance.”