The theme at the posh bar and cocktail lounge Campbell Apartment, located in Grand
Central Terminal in New York City, centralised on the history of its landmark status.
The space was once the office of American financier John W. Campbell, a member of
the New York Central Railroad’s board of directors.

Later used for office space, as a studio by CBS Radio and as a jail by Metro-North
Railroad, the space was restored to its original opulence following renovations totalling
nearly $US2 million in 1999 and 2007. The walls and ceiling were brought back to
their former glory; a new bar was constructed using the same quatrefoil mahogany as
the balcony and the original steel safe, once hidden behind a wall, now sits in the
massive fireplace as a reminder of Campbell’s wealth.

Temporarily closing its door for a year for leasing issues, Campbell Apartment
reopened in June 2017 under the new ownership of hospitality vanguard, Gerber
Group. One of the first orders from the company’s principal and CEO, Scott Gerber? To
update the bar’s acoustics for a better distributed audio and one that it matches the
prestige of the structure.

Global Audio Systems was tasked with this responsibility given that its owner, Jason
Ojeda, had previously worked with the Gerber Group at several of their properties and
entrusted him with such an important project. Ojeda had first-hand experience using
K-array in several projects prior and according to him, “it was simply the right fit for
this job at Grand Central and would sound amazing.’

With help from distributors K-array America, Ojeda arranged six Kayman-KY102 and 1
Kobra-KK52 loudspeaker line arrays for the Campbell Apartment installation, utilising
the Kayman for its frequency response down to 90hz. The system was designed to
have even, consistent coverage throughout the venue, distributing audio without any
dead zones and was installed into custom wall sconces that were designed around the
line arrays.

“We knew we had to have amazing sound without having bulky speakers or losing
audio quality. Scott and his team are ecstatic about the install. The design fits the
venue and its aesthetic needs without sacrificing sound quality. K-array is simply
amazing at what it does.’