General Manager Jeff Weinkauf trusts DPA Microphones for clear and authentic audio.
Photo Credit: Dan Olybrych with Hult Center for the Performing Arts
As one of the only performing arts centers of its caliber in the area, Hult Center for the Performing Arts regularly welcomes audiences from as far away as Portland, Oregon and the California Bay Area. In the venue’s 2,447-seat main hall, viewers can enjoy shows by Hult’s resident companies, which includes the Eugene Ballet and Eugene Symphony, as well as established touring artists, Broadway musicals and comedy shows. In the second, 495-seat hall, Hult Center provides up-and-coming acts with a space to perform, hoping to catalyse new artist growth and development.
Since opening in 1982, the Hult Center has prided itself on offering exquisite audio for each act that comes through its doors, no matter how large or small. To accomplish this mission, the venue entrusts General Manager Jeff Weinkauf, who pulls from his years of theatre sound design experience to provide solutions with crystal clear, authentic audio. A longtime user of DPA Microphones, Weinkauf credits the brand’s reliability, durability, and natural sound replication for its prominence in the industry.
Since starting at Hult Center, Weinkauf has incorporated several DPA solutions, including the 4060 and 4061 Miniature Omnidirectional, 6060 Subminiature Lavalier, and esteemed 4099 Instrument Mics. Continually impressed by the long-lasting quality of DPA’s mics, Weinkauf also recently added the brand’s 2011 Twin Diaphragm and new 4055 Kick Drum Microphones to Hult Center’s lineup. “Durability is absolutely key to our business,” says Weinkauf. “The demanding conditions and daily use can prove difficult for some microphones, but DPA mics stand up to our day-to-day demands. That durability and reliability is extremely important to us. Once we invest in a premium tool, we need it to deliver consistently and DPA mics provide a level of consistency unheard of with other brands.”
Built to provide that same reliable and natural sound quality, DPA’s 4055 Kick Drum Mic is filling an important role for the theatre. “The 4055 has not disappointed,” Weinkauf shares. “We had been using the previous industry kick drum mic; once we introduced the 4055, we could hear an immediate difference. I can put it in a kick drum and hear the natural sound of the instrument―every boom and effect. The audio team reports that they feel like they actually hear the drum now, as opposed to an effect placed on the drum. This is especially rewarding when you have a great instrument, knowing you can hear its natural sound, and not the mic.”
Weinkauf has found that these same results can be expected from the six 4099 Instrument Mics that the Hult Center utilizes, most prominently on two Steinway grand pianos. “I’ve always liked how transparent, natural and phase coherent DPA mics are,” he says. “After we added the 6060s, we started looking for something to mic our grand pianos. We initially tried the most expensive mics and esoteric solutions from around the world, but nothing ever captured the piano and presented it in a way that felt natural. It was during this process that we came across the 4099s. As soon as we put them on the piano, we knew they were exactly what we were looking for.
They’re great multi-use microphones that we throw on almost anything, like guitars or violin, but we especially love it for piano. They’re easy to use, very ergonomic and fit in transparently―both visually and sonically. Our sound engineers have even told me that they use far less equalization and processing in general now that we have these mics. The 4099s are consistently true to what you’re miking.”
Weinkauf particularly appreciates DPA’s transparent and accurate sound reproduction when miking orchestras like the Eugene Symphony, for which he relies on the 2011 Twin Diaphragm Mic for strings. “Because of the 2011’s natural translation, it takes less time and manipulation to get the results we want. Our instruments are more truly represented,” he shares. “Our workflow is ultimately faster, thanks to having the right mic, the correct placement and good gain structure.”
Already a DPA supporter for many years, Weinkauf happily awaits any new mic releases that come from the brand and plans to continue implementing its solutions at Hult Center into the future. “When I reach for a DPA product, I know it’s going to sound like the instrument I’m miking,” he adds. “I don’t have to do a lot of work to make it sound good, which makes for a nicer listening experience. After growing up running audio, I know what I’m going to reach for most of the time. DPA is the first microphone brand that I grab consistently. This is becoming even more prominent as we build out our mic locker at Hult Center.”
The Hult Center for the Performing Arts prides itself on strengthening and supporting the more than 700 artistic performances that come through the Oregon area each year. Throughout July, attendants can enjoy a series of shows from the Oregon Bach Festival, workshops and performances by the Missoula Children’s Theatre as well as comedic acts, such as those from Emmy- and GRAMMY®-nominated comedian, writer, radio contributor, and actor Tig Notaro.
Contact Keith at ApexPro to find out how you can access DPA Microphone technology in the Southern African Market
Trinity Christian Academy (TCA), a growing college preparatory Christian school in Willow Park, Texas, recently debuted a new home for its football team – Eagle Stadium – with seating for 1000, an OES digital scoreboard, and a sound reinforcement system headed by Electro-Voice and Dynacord components.
TCA Trinity Christian Academy’s new football stadium
Since its launch in 1993, the school has partnered with other local schools to use its sports facilities. Eagle Stadium is the first part of a multi-million dollar three-phase project that includes baseball and softball fields and track facilities.
Colby Howerton, U.S. southwest regional sales rep for London, Ontario-based OES Scoreboards recommended one Electro-Voice MTS-4153 three-way point-source loudspeaker mounted on the scoreboard for full audio coverage of the field and seating areas. The selected MTS-4153-64 version features a 60° x 40° coverage pattern. Designed for large-scale applications, the MTS-4153 combines four 15” woofers with dual coaxial mid/high compression drivers via a single waveguide in a design focused on cohesive high output with a strong bass response.
“The school was looking for a digital scoreboard and sound reinforcement solution that would provide audio coverage on the field and stands while offering the visibility the fans need,” explains Howerton. “To mount the loudspeaker to the scoreboard, our engineering team designed a custom bracket for the top of the center I-beam. The bracket fits the shape and bolt pattern of the bottom of the MTS loudspeaker and was easy to disguise with a scrim featuring the Eagles mascot.”
The fully weatherized MTS loudspeaker is driven by a Dynacord IPX10:4 power amplifier for fixed installations equipped with OMNEO IP networking architecture enabling Dante and OCA/AES70 networking. IPX models deliver 96 kHz DSP with low latency and a high signal-to-noise ratio and are equipped with technologies for added energy efficiency and system protection.
The amplifier is rack-mounted in the press box along with a Dynacord MXE5 Matrix Mix Engine that serves as a control center and communications hub for system devices and IP-based peripherals. The system is easily controlled and monitored via a Dynacord TPC-1 touch panel controller working with the mix engine. Using SONICUE Sound System Software, installers can freely configure the TPC-1 interface screen with customizable controls that are enhanced by images, such as schematic diagrams, school colors or corporate logos.
“One of the features the school required was a system that could easily grow,” adds Howerton. “Not only might the stadium itself expand with additional guest seating, but the additional phases will require networked systems. This system allows for all that and more – it seems simple, but it’s quite sophisticated. This was one of the first applications done with an MTS loudspeaker, and we will recommend similar packages again.”
ETC introduces the High End Systems Hyperstar, a new, sensational companion to the popular Lonestar automated luminaire. A powerful, compact moving light optimized for projection versatility, Hyperstar will help create uniquely beautiful designs for a wide variety of venues. Hyperstar is the same size as Lonestar, and is just as bright, compact, and affordable.
Lonestar is recognized for its projection capabilities and framing; with Hyperstar the framing modules have been removed to provide even more versatility when using patterns and aerials. With nine rotating patterns, 11 fixed patterns, an Animation wheel, dual frosts, and dual prisms, designers have an almost endless choice of breakups, aerials, radial patterns, and gobos specializing in morphing and texture. And by layering the fixture’s effects, a vast collection of custom visuals are available to achieve your desired look.
Market Manager Tania Lesage highlights the Hyperstar, saying, “It’s a luminaire tailored for venues of all sizes and aesthetics. Boasting punchy output, extensive effects, and versatile color capabilities, Hyperstar continues ETC’s unwavering commitment to providing unmatched professional quality and impeccable service, all within an accessible size and price range.”
New System’s Power and Precision Benefit Audiences and Venue Neighbours Alike
Hayden Homes Amphitheater in Bend, OR attracts top-tier touring artists with its stunning natural setting and superb technical facilities. Situated in the shadow of the snow-capped Cascade Mountains and bordered by the pristine Deschutes River, the approximately 8,000-capacity venue stepped up its regional drawing power this year by upgrading the house system for the summer season to Meyer Sound PANTHER large-format linear line array loudspeakers.
A sampling of artists enjoying both the scenery and sound at Hayden Homes Amphitheater (HHA) this year includes Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band, Elvis Costello, Ziggy Marley, and Neil Young.
The new system is supplied under a multi-year contract by Tacoma, WA-based Point Source Audio. According to Point Source owner Curt Hare, who serves as the systems engineer and handles FOH for bands without their own mixer, the improvements have been appreciated by artists and audiences alike.
“Everyone has loved it,” he reports. “I’ve heard some say it’s the best system they’ve heard on the tour, and others say it’s like working on near-field monitors. Words like ‘transparent’ and ‘three-dimensional’ come up, and some engineers have told me they are using less EQ and compression on their channel strips.”
The sonic improvements did not come without challenges, however. The wide-open views and riverside ambiance pose acoustic difficulties because HHA is located in the heart of Bend’s Old Mill District, a thriving commercial and residential development. Unlike other similar venues with stages facing natural hillsides, the HHA occupies an essentially flat space with only a minimal construction-graded slope of about 2%. And the adjacent river’s scenic value is offset by a tendency to reflect mid-high frequencies.
“The layout and topography of the venue make it difficult to contain the sound within the venue boundaries,” says Hare. “I had worked with their production manager, Mike Taylor, at the Northwest String Summit and other regional festivals, and he knew I had addressed these issues at a similar venue in Washington. So, he asked me to propose a new solution.”
Taylor was confident the new PANTHER-based system would provide powerful, high-quality sound, but he also needed to convince management that the sound bleed into adjacent neighborhoods could be significantly attenuated.
“We really needed to dial in a much tighter pattern,” he says. “Meyer Sound had the technology and the team to make it happen.”
Coordinating through Meyer Sound Director of Strategic Applications Michael Maxson, Hare worked with Meyer Sound Senior Technical Support Specialist David Vincent to plot system coverage in MAPP 3D with the goal of maintaining full-bandwidth uniformity inside the fence, then dropping off steeply. “They nailed it,” Taylor says. “Now the system does exactly what we expect it to do.”
The system comprises 12 per side arrays of PANTHER loudspeakers, with ten PANTHER-M cabinets over two PANTHER-W cabinets. Bass power comes from 12 1100‑LFC low-frequency control elements arranged in cardioid configurations, while six ULTRA‑X40 compact loudspeakers supply front fill and two Galileo GALAXY Network Platforms contribute to system drive and optimization. Ten MJF‑210 high-power stage monitors are available for artist foldback.
For visiting engineers who love analog, and for his own use when mixing opening acts, Curt Hare keeps his vintage Gamble EX56 parked at HHA for the season.
With artist satisfaction, audience excitement, and community relations all on the upswing, the move to a new PANTHER-based system has proven to be a wise one. “I was confident from the outset,” says Hare, “but we did a demo session back in May to show what we could do. Management was a bit surprised that there was so much engineering and scientific data available to deal with the noise issues, as little was seen from the previous vendor.”
The change was particularly welcome for Hayden Homes Amphitheater General Manager Marney Smith. “Community relations is a massive part of the equation here at HHA,” she says. “Curt’s efforts, combined with the Meyer rig, have made it possible to provide visual ‘heat maps’ of how the sound travels and make adjustments. The reduced sound transfer into surrounding neighborhoods is noticeable.”
The recognition among touring artists also has been gratifying, she adds. “I’m not the one who lets the tours know our house rig is now PANTHER, but I’ve listened in when our production manager relays the news. It’s delightful. Offering a top-line rig adds credibility to our venue and lets artists know they can expect excellence in all aspects of production when they come to visit us.”
Some other acts benefiting from the system upgrade at HHA this year include Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Los Lobos, Indigo Girls, Cake, and Counting Crows.
Hayden Homes Amphitheater is owned by the Old Mill District with the summer season concert series booked and managed by Live Nation.
ApexPro is the premium distributor of Meyer Sound Solutions in Southern Africa, contact us for more information.
UltraSound Completes First PANTHER Club Install at Iconic San Francisco Venue
A San Francisco landmark, and arguably the most celebrated venue in rock history, The Fillmore promises to carry its iconic status into the future thanks to a complete audio upgrade anchored by a new Meyer Sound reinforcement system. Built around the flagship PANTHER large-format linear line array loudspeaker, the new system was supplied and installed by UltraSound, LLC another company with deep roots in the rich history of San Francisco’s post-1960s music scene.
Operated by Live Nation since 2007, The Fillmore treasures its legendary past while remaining focused on presenting today’s established and emerging artists in an optimum environment supported by world-class technical facilities.
“Our prior Meyer Sound system maintained our reputation for more than fifteen years,” notes Matt Lawsky, on The Fillmore staff since 1999 and principal production manager since 2011. “But it was clearly time to move forward. We had first looked at a LEOPARD solution, but the timing worked out perfectly because, just when Live Nation gave us the green light, PANTHER had come out. UltraSound recommended it, and the cost was a wash because with PANTHER we need only seven boxes per side whereas LEOPARD would require 10 or more. So, we went with the very latest Meyer Sound technology.”
When The Fillmore reopened in 1994, after a five-year closure due to earthquake damage, UltraSound installed a Meyer Sound MSL-3 system in the room. UltraSound returned in subsequent years to install MICA line arrays with M3D Subs, culminating in this year’s PANTHER system.
“It has been an honor to have provided all The Fillmore audio systems for nearly three decades,” says UltraSound CEO Derek Featherstone. “And all have been from Meyer Sound.”
For Lawsky, maintaining the strong ties with Meyer Sound was a no-brainer. “Very few venues have the luxury of being in the neighborhood of a world-class audio manufacturer,” he notes. “In fact, I could stop by the Meyer Sound factory on my way home. It would be madness not to take advantage of that.”
With a capacity just shy of 1,200, The Fillmore is categorized as a club by default as shows are general admission for an open floor with limited seating. As such, The Fillmore now becomes the first club in the world to offer a PANTHER system.
Matt Lawsky, Production Manager, The Fillmore; Michael Bailey, Senior Vice President Booking, Live Nation; Amie Bailey-Knobler, General Manager, The Fillmore; Helen Meyer, Executive Vice President, Meyer Sound; John Meyer, President & CEO, Meyer Sound; Derek Featherstone, CEO, UltraSound, LLC
“PANTHER is amazingly versatile in any environment because of its lightweight and compact size,” says Derek Featherstone. “I hope young engineers will experience PANTHER in the club environment here and then, when their bands grow to major touring acts, choose to carry it with their production.”
In addition to the seven-each PANTHER arrays, the new system also includes two ULTRA‑X40 compact loudspeakers as front corner infills plus a third ULTRA-X40 for overhead center fill. Interim bass power is supplied by six 1100‑LFC low-frequency control elements, pending replacement by the newly introduced 2100‑LFC elements later this year. Artist foldback is courtesy of ten MJF‑210 high-power stage monitors.
Contributing to the system renewal alongside Featherstone was UltraSound Operations Manager Josh Osmond, with Jason Mills serving as the on-site manager.
Michael Bailey, Live Nation Senior Vice President, has been a fixture at The Fillmore since 1987, working first for the owners at the time, soon afterward for Bill Graham Productions, and eventually for Live Nation. “When the 2100s are in, we will have the ultimate club showcase for Meyer Sound PA technology,” says Bailey. “Bands, and engineers from other clubs, can come here, listen to the system, and be inspired to upgrade the sound at similar venues around the country — or the world.”
After nearly a quarter century at The Fillmore, Matt Lawsky is well aware of the unique nature of the venue, and how its legacy affects production. “This is a relatively small room with a very high-intensity usage,” he notes. “Off-the-shelf solutions don’t work here. We have bespoke demands, and I’m grateful for the way that Meyer Sound, UltraSound, and our crew from IATSE Local 16 have worked hard to tailor this solution to our needs.”
The Fillmore’s status as a rock mecca is inescapable, but Matt Lawsky is focused on delivering an amazing experience at every show. “This is not the ‘Fillmore Museum.’ This is here, this is now. We are a working rock’n’roll dive that just happens to be exceptionally famous.”
For Meyer Sound founders John and Helen Meyer, the latest upgrade to the venue continues a long tradition of supporting the arts in the Bay Area. “We came to shows here in the sixties, so this is special,” Helen Meyer recalled at the system’s inauguration ceremonies. “We want to thank everybody from The Fillmore, Live Nation, and UltraSound for making this happen. We are Bay Area natives, and this is the kind of thing we love to do. It’s in our DNA. We hope everybody will enjoy the result.”
Over its six-decade history as a rock venue, The Fillmore has hosted not only nearly every legendary act in that genre but also luminaries of blues, jazz, soul, and rap. Today, the venue continues this tradition with a calendar of bookings spanning not only rock music and all its sub-genres but also Latin, reggae, hip-hop, R&B, and pop.
ApexPro is the premier distributor of Meyer Sound solutions in Southern Africa, contact us for more information about Meyer Sound solutions in the region.
A popular tourist destination was recently challenged to create an elaborate new interactive exhibit. This destination is a 12,000-square-meter attraction, visitor center, and communal space which is known for providing unique experiences for visitors with multiple, innovative exhibits.
One elaborate exhibit was designed to allow visitors to move physical items around to interact with the exhibit. The organization wanted to have auditory feedback whenever items are placed in different locations. This required video processing from multiple IP video cameras to identify which objects are being moved and to what location. When specific actions were taken and identified, a particular calibrated audio response was then triggered. The audio was sent via Dante Connect through the cloud back to a local Dante-networked amplifier.
To provide the best customer experience, the organization sought to eliminate reliance on some on-premise hardware and moved processing and system management to the cloud. Supported by the regional Audinate team and partnered with an IT services provider, the organization deployed a beta version of Dante Connect running on Microsoft Azure to power the audio integrations. Due to the low latency of the Dante Connect solution in the cloud, the integration enabled a phenomenal experience for visitors, coupled with a reliable, easily serviceable tech stack for IT managers.
Dante Connect enables organizations and broadcasters to centralize audio production in the cloud by seamlessly connecting Dante-enabled products onsite with other locations or cloud-based mixing and editing software. This example showcases how locally installed audio systems at events or locations can send multi-channel Dante audio directly to cloud-based virtual machines running editing and production suites. With this workflow design, skilled audio producers located on or offsite can edit and distribute audio from anywhere to anywhere.
“Our exhibit is grounded in delivering a tactile and immersive physical experience, yet it’s astounding that the heart of this runs entirely in the cloud,” said the Head of Technology for the organization. “Navigating the intricacies of such an integration was no small feat. With Dante Connect, not only did we seamlessly meld the AV and IT realms, but we also crafted a groundbreaking blueprint for how physical interactions can be powered and elevated by cloud capabilities.”
“This phenomenal exhibit can be attributed to how the concept is interoperable, intuitive, and eminently useful,” said Will Waters, Principal Product Manager, Audinate. “That’s a lesson all technology providers should take to heart; we recognize that Dante Connect embodies those factors.”
This installation is the first of many forthcoming examples of how Dante Connect can serve as a comprehensive platform for advanced system integration of audio.
