Since opening its doors in March 2024, La Fabriek in Brussels has transformed into a multicultural powerhouse. The venue’s programme shifts from cabaret and comedy to old school warehouse raves, but its previous sound system couldn’t keep up.

“We have always been about offering a full range of artistic and cultural activities, from concerts and parties to exhibitions and workshops,” says La Fabriek’s Christophe Chaltin. “But switching between each type of event meant we had to change the audio setup, which took a lot of time and energy. We knew we needed a more versatile and permanent system suited to the different types of events we organise.”

[Photos by TangheNiels / District]

The solution came from local audio specialists Aku Soundsystem, a company owned and operated by Jordi Van Densen and Shahir Burki. With a commitment to delivering exceptional sound quality across all music genres and event types, the company puts audio excellence at the heart of everything it does. “Our aim is always to ensure the user is able to optimise their venue as much as possible,” says Burki.

This philosophy made them a perfect fit for La Fabriek and a trial run with a Funktion-One Evo system at a New Year’s Eve party in an adjacent 2000m² warehouse confirmed it. In February, the venue went all in, and the system was live just two days later. Aku installed four Funktion-One Res 2 with two F221 subs as its main system, and a pair of F1201 for monitoring.  

“If you strive for optimal sound quality, the options are limited, but Funktion-One has a reputation for delivering exactly this. Promoters looking to rent out the venue were also eager to see Funktion-One installed in La Fabriek,” says Burki. “The client wanted a system that had better dispersion for the venue and better audio quality across all frequencies to enable it to be used for a wider range of musical genres.”

While the space posed some challenges, Burki emphasises the advantages of Funktion-One’s point source technology. “In our opinion, point source is a good decision for most venues and Funktion-One speakers excel at this. It’s why Funktion One will always be our favourite brand. We encounter clients who think that Funktion-One is just for clubbing or for one type of music genre. It’s always fun to show them otherwise!”

Making the most of what you have isn’t just about the present, it’s about being prepared for the future. With the confidence that its sound system will perform no matter which direction the venue takes, La Fabriek has freedom to evolve and express itself.