Powersoft’s Mezzo and Dynamic Music Distribution (DMD) are at the heart of a sound system delivering three zones of audio in Yebisu Brewery Tokyo, a historical brewery and museum located in Tokyo, Japan.
Once a quiet museum, the new sound system overhaul and installation of the brewing facility have transformed it into a multi-zone audio experience with beer tastings in the taproom, exhibitions and a shop for visitors.
Yebisu Brewery Tokyo’s audio revamp was driven by the need to shift its image from “classic” into a lighter and more playful one, aligning with the changing taste of the modern audience. “We wanted to create a vibrant atmosphere that would change the Yebisu beer’s previous reputation,” says Takako Okii, marketing division deputy manager from Sapporo Breweries. “We also needed to get rid of the echo issues and we believe that high-quality sound was crucial in delivering an exciting and memorable experience. This is why we needed a new music system,” she adds.
Tasked with this challenge was Mood Media Japan, which undertook the audio overhaul in the entire area. “We installed the system in three zones, with each area playing a different sound,” says Yamato Shibasaki, music designer from Mood Media Japan. “We designed it in a way that minimises the sound from overlapping.”
Stepping into the brewery, the visitors are welcomed by the Yebisu Beer theme song, “The Third Man Theme” by Anton Karas, played from two different sources to draw attention to the centre of the facility and convey the message of brand’s diversity. Shibasaki explains that using two different music sources highlights the many ways a single piece of music can be experienced. In the museum area, soft background music allows visitors to focus on the exhibition and feel the atmosphere of Yebisu Beer. In contrast, the taproom features livelier music, creating a dynamic transition between the brewery’s history and its future.
“It was a very interesting project for us,” states Shibasaki. “The brewery’s open layout posed acoustic challenges, particularly with high ceilings and minimal partitions.” To overcome this challenge, Mood Media Japan adjusted speaker positions and utilised the DSP capabilities of a Powersoft’s Mezzo amplifier to fine-tune sound quality. “We changed the speaker position to lower and adjusted the direction and used the DSP on Mezzo to regulate the EQ.” The build-in delay function on Mezzo further synchronised audio across the entrance and the museum, eliminating any perception of sound lag between the zones.