Multi-zone social venue audio designed for immersive, fun-first experiences.
Pop Playrooms: Kingston
This case study looks at how we delivered a flexible, high-performance audio system for a modern competitive socialising venue – balancing atmosphere, control, and acoustic precision in a busy retail environment.
About Pop Playrooms
Pop Playrooms Kingston is a vibrant, activity-led venue combining games, food, drink and music into a single social experience. Building on the success of earlier concepts like Pop Golf, the brand focuses on high-energy interaction – shuffleboard, darts, social gaming – paired with a lively bar atmosphere.
Located within the Rotunda Centre in Kingston, the venue sits within a mixed-use environment, making sound control and customer experience equally important. The brief was to create a system that felt immersive and exciting – without disrupting neighbouring spaces.
MSL were brought in early, having previously worked with the client on earlier projects, to design and deliver a complete AV solution tailored to this next-generation concept.
The Project
From the outset, the goal was clear: create a fully zoned audio environment that could support multiple simultaneous experiences.
Each area of the venue – gaming zones, bar spaces, seating areas, and circulation routes – needed its own identity. Some areas required higher energy and interaction, while others needed a more relaxed, social feel. The system also needed to accommodate DJ inputs and flexible audio routing, allowing the venue to adapt throughout the day and into the evening.
Alongside audio, the project also included integrated display screens for signage and customer-facing content, adding another layer to the overall experience.
The Challenges
Pop Playrooms’ location within a busy retail and leisure complex introduced a key challenge: controlling sound without losing impact. The system needed to feel immersive inside the venue while carefully limiting sound leakage to neighbouring units and public areas.
At the same time, the layout itself added complexity. With multiple activity zones – shuffleboard, darts, bar areas, and seating – each space required consistent coverage without relying on excessive volume. The goal was to create an even, engaging sound field that followed the customer journey throughout the venue.
Balancing energy, control, and compliance required careful speaker placement, zoning strategy, and system tuning from the outset.
The Solution
MSL delivered a fully integrated AV solution built around flexibility, control, and consistent coverage – ensuring every area of the venue feels connected, immersive, and easy to operate, no matter how the space is being used.
Speakers & Audio Distribution
At the core of the system is a distributed Martin Audio setup, designed to deliver even, high-quality sound across every zone.
Martin Audio X8 full-range speakers were installed throughout key areas including shuffleboard, darts zones, bar spaces and seating areas. Ceiling speakers were used in quieter areas such as toilets to maintain a consistent audio experience throughout the venue.
By using a high quantity of compact speakers rather than a few high-output sources, MSL ensured smooth, even coverage at lower volumes – creating an immersive feel without overwhelming the space or causing sound bleed.
Amplification & System Control
Behind the scenes, the system is powered by Powersoft amplification, delivering reliable, high-performance output across all zones.
Control is handled via an Optimal Audio DSP platform, giving complete flexibility over zoning, source selection, EQ and volume levels.
This setup allows the venue team to easily manage different atmospheres throughout the day – while built-in noise limiting and system protection ensure consistent performance and long-term reliability.
DJ Integration & Flexible Inputs
MSL also supplied and installed a network of commercial-grade display screens across the venue.
These included internal signage screens and external-facing displays, designed for menus, promotions and branded content.
The result is a cohesive AV environment where audio and visual elements work together to enhance the overall customer experience.
Training & Support
As with all MSL projects, the system was designed to be powerful behind the scenes – but simple to use day-to-day.
Staff were provided with hands-on training during commissioning, ensuring they could confidently manage volume levels, switch between sources and operate different zones without needing technical expertise.
The DSP-controlled system was also locked down to prevent accidental misuse – protecting both sound quality and equipment longevity, while giving the client complete peace of mind.
Why Middlesex Sound & Lighting?
Pop Playrooms chose MSL based on our existing relationship and a proven track record delivering similar competitive socialising venues.
With experience in multi-zone environments and distributed audio design, the team here at MSL were able to create a system that balanced performance with control – delivering energy where needed, while maintaining compliance and consistency across the space.
Their ability to integrate audio, control systems and AV displays into a single cohesive solution made them the ideal partner for a project of this nature.
