The show must go on — and as audiences are returning, many theaters and PACs have upgraded their venues. With that in mind, we present three recent installation projects. Each took a different approach, proving there are numerous solutions to any audio challenge — large or small — for any performance space.
Yaamava’ Theater; Highland, CA
Earlier this year, the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino opened the Yaamava’ Theater, its new 2,600-seat entertainment venue, completing a four-year, $760 million expansion for the property. With eight restaurants, eight bars, an onsite hotel and now this performance facility, the business is one of the largest casino properties on the West Coast.
The audio system features an L-Acoustics K Series rig, designed by L-Acoustics’ senior applications engineer for installations André Pichette and integrated by Sound Image’s contracting division in Escondido, CA. “Clarity, coverage, and sound quality were the keys to what the clients wanted with the theater’s sound. K Series components met all of those criteria, and more,” says Sound Image’s Scott Coyle.
The Yaamava’ Theater opened with a VIP command performance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The main P.A. comprises a dozen K2 flown per side, each backed by four flown K1-SB subs, complemented by four stage-stacked KS28 subs per side. Nine coaxial X8 provide stage-lip front-fill, plus two more as out-fills, while nine A15i enclosures (a mix of Wide and Focus models), paired with six KS21i subs serve as balcony delays. Nine VIP suites on the theater’s second level each have a pair of X8, while stage monitoring consists of eight X12, two X15 HiQ and two KS21 subs. A dozen LA12X and eight LA4X amplified controllers power and process the entire loudspeaker setup.
“The idea was to make this a first-class, first-choice venue for touring shows,” says Coyle. “K Series gives us the power and sonic quality we need, and the X8 and A15i provide solid fill coverage in the front and balcony areas. And there’s plenty of low-frequency energy in the room, supplied by all of those flown and stacked subs. When the Peppers performed, the kick drum sounded awesome.”
Sound Image also installed L-Acoustics systems in other areas on the property — Rock n Brews (a Kara II/SB18/KS28 system), Tukut Lounge (Kara II/A15/SB18), Bar Bar (X8/SB15) and Aces Bar (Syva/Syva Low/KS21) — and Coyle reports those sites sound no less spectacular. “Everyone is excited about the sound quality across the entire site, and especially in the new theater. They love having a world-class, rider-ready system in there.”
Audio lead and FOH mixer for the theater, Carlos Morales, agrees the K2-based system was a perfect match for the main performance space, while the L-Acoustics systems throughout the various venues create a consistent sonic signature. “The continuity from one part of the property to the next is pretty amazing.” In the theater, the nuanced sound especially shines, even at very high volumes. “The Red Hot Chili Peppers show was loud, but the system didn’t break a sweat,” he says. “There was plenty of headroom, the four double KS28 on the floor weren’t pushed hard at all, and we had plenty of low-end.”
Morales added that “K2 is totally the right rig for this venue. A lot of touring artists coming here will be happy to leave their gear on the trucks, because this is all the sound system that they’ll ever need.”
Yaamava’ Theater
- Capacity: 2,600
- Key Components: L-Acoustics K Series
- Integrator: Sound Image
Everest Grand Theatre, Shigatse, Tibet
Nestled some 12,800 feet above sea level among the mountain peaks of Shigatse, Tibet, the 1,600-seat Everest Grand Theatre is the highest altitude professional theater.
Chinese AV solutions provider EZPro handled the sound reinforcement segment of the project, with EAW speakers and an Allen & Heath dLive FOH console. “To meet the needs of the varied performances and activities, flexibility is absolutely critical,” explains EZPro’s Zhu Liuwei “As the dLive audio engine resides in the MixRack, it’s easy to change the location of the mix surface if required, and this was another big plus.”
Two dLive S7000 Surfaces and two DM64 MixRacks operate as main and backup systems. The largest control surface in the dLive range, the S7000 offers up to 216 fader strips via six layers of 36 faders, with 26 assignable SoftKeys and local analog and AES I/O. Two 12” touch screens provide a comprehensive overview of the mix and fast, intuitive control of all parameters. The 96 kHz DM64 MixRack delivers 128 input channels with full processing, 64 mix outs with full processing and a configurable bus architecture. Both the S7000 and DM64 and have hot-swappable PSUs for added redundancy.
With Dante used throughout the theater for audio distribution, both dLive systems were equipped with Dante cards with the Primary and Secondary ports providing a redundant audio link to the power amps and speakers.
“The dLive system ticks all the boxes — A flexible FOH position, ease-of-use and fast setup,” says Liuwei. “And the console’s variety of built-in DEEP Processors greatly helps FOH engineers to deliver a studio-quality mix for music performances.”
Designed by EZPro, the main P.A. is a left/center/right system with outer hangs of 14 EAW RSX208L dual-8” 3-way powered line arrays that flank 10 center-mounted RSX212L’s above the proscenium, with six RSX218 double-18 subs adding LF punch. EAW MK8196i under-balcony speakers and MK5396i fills complete the system.
Everest Grand Theatre
- Capacity: 1,600
- Key Components: Allen & Heath dLive S7000; EAW RSX208L line arrays
- Integrator: EZPro
Woodward Theater, Cincinnati, OH
Located in the vibrant Over-the-Rhine district of Cincinnati, the historic Woodward Theater opened as a silent movie house back in 1913. Today, this much-loved building has been brought back to life as a 600-capacity live music and events hall, hosting everything from weddings and film screenings to concerts.
Versatility is the key to success at the Woodward, and this applies particularly to the NEXO GEO M10 line array system spec’ed and installed by local production services and AV technology specialists Event Enterprises.
“The system has to perform as a full rock rig one day, then handle a bridegroom’s speech the next, without getting in the way of the wedding photographer” says EE managing director Grant Cambridge, explaining the choice of the GEO M10 for a venue he knows well, having supplied a number a rental systems for events there over the years. “Two small hangs of six GEO M10s on either side of the stage give us all the power and coverage necessary for the main floor and balcony, supplemented by four MSUB15s subwoofers.”
The speakers’ light weight and compact form factor were essential to ensure that the clusters could be hung safely from joists in the attic of a building that’s more than a century old, and that the subs could be hidden under a stage with just 24 inches of clearance.
“Right out of the gate, the coverage was spot-on, and the system behaved just as predicted when we modeled it using NEXO’s NS-1 configuration software,” notes Cambridge. “We started tuning with a kick drum and the power of the system was immediately impressive, even without the subs.” Amplification and processing for the system come from a rack of just three NXAMP4X2MK2 4-channel powered controllers, and six NEXO P12 point source speakers are available for stage monitoring, completing an all-NEXO install.
“Event Enterprises prides itself on supporting the events, local artists and businesses that make Cincinnati such a great place to live and work” says Cambridge. “So, we’re pleased to equip a landmark venue such as the Woodward with a sound system that’s going to bring a lot of enjoyment to so many people.”
Woodward Theater
- Capacity: 600
- Key Components: NEXO GEO M10
- Integrator: Event Enterprises
