Foreground Music System at Royal Plaza on Scotts, Singapore

In the heart of Singapore’s Orchard Road, Royal Plaza on Scotts hotel stands out not only for its award-winning service and five-star luxury but also for its bold and immersive use of foreground music in its iconic lobby.

General Manager Patrick Garcia Fiat envisioned more than just background ambience—he wanted music that would set a mood, create an experience, and make guests say “wow.” He turned to Simon Faure-Field, CEO of brand enhancement specialist Equal Strategy, and long-time collaborator David Seow of Control Logic Systems (CLS), now part of Ideal Systems SEA, to bring this vision to life.

Acoustic Challenges Met with Precision

The lobby’s architecture—marble floors and walls, three large glass domes, grand staircases, and mirrors—presented a highly reflective, reverberant environment. Traditional speaker setups were not an option.

Instead, the team deployed a minimalist but powerful system:

  • At the entrance, three 150W Polk Audio enclosures provide impactful sound without overwhelming visitors.

  • Inside the lobby, just two AXYS U-14 enclosures (now under JBL) mounted in a left-right configuration deliver a rich, foreground music experience while visually blending into the interior.

  • The system’s intelligent sound mapping fades out completely near the front desk to preserve a quiet, personal guest interaction space.

Innovative Wireless and Safety-Integrated Design

This project also brought unique technical demands. The hotel required:

  • No visible cables – Solved by a custom 2.4GHz wireless audio system using EOS Converge C200 Wi-Fi transmitters and receivers.

  • Integration with the fire alarm system – Ensured by running the U-14 enclosures on a 100V line for seamless evacuation override compatibility.

David Seow’s expertise in beam-controlled audio and precise DSP tuning enabled crystal-clear music with no distortion or reverberation, despite the acoustically difficult space. A narrow vertical beam (60°) and wide horizontal dispersion (100°) ensured focused coverage—about 1.5 meters from the floor—without overwhelming the reflective surfaces.

Dynamic Content, Day and Night

The music is far from static. The playlist evolves throughout the day, becoming more beat-oriented in the evenings. During seasons like Ramadan or Christmas, the atmosphere shifts entirely. The system also handles spoken-word promotional messages with clarity.

This case study is based on a feature originally published in Pro Audio Asia (November–December 2014 edition), now Pro AVL Asia.

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