But with the new L-Acoustics rig, it just works-left to right, front to back, top to bottom, my mix sounds like my mix. In many rooms, I feel like multiple fill zones are a compromise to a problem that never really feels solved, and that was certainly the case with the old system here. The room is taller than it is long and incorporates two balconies of different shapes, which means several sets of fills had to be employed. The Thunderbird’s unconventional shape and building materials make for a visually stunning design, but also make the room quite challenging from a mixing perspective. “But the biggest difference for me is the even coverage when I walk away from the FOH position. And I no longer fear blowing a driver in the subs to get the low end I want. On top of that harshness, we were always pushing against the top of the subs’ abilities, but now we have headroom for days on the low end. I can get the clarity I need but at a lower volume than I was ever able to achieve before. “I always felt like the old PA was yelling at me, but the A Series arrays have completely eliminated that problem. “The old system could be extremely shrill in the upper mid-range, which could make for a very fatiguing listening experience,” he recalled. Soundvision really helped nail that.”įor fellow Thunderbird sound engineer Alex Heard, hearing the room’s transformation from the previous rig to the new one is tremendously satisfying. And the coverage in the room has immensely improved-from the floor to the third balcony to the back bar, the coverage is smooth. Everything is there to tailor an appropriate mix no matter what genre. When mixing on the A15 system, the boxes don’t sound constrained. ‘The room sounds great,’ is a comment I am now hearing over and over. “The same goes when I am handing drive lines over to a guest engineer. “When I walk into the room, I am confident that I have the best tools available to make a band or performer sound their best,” he says.

Thunderbird sound engineer Mike Jantho is jazzed with the venue’s new loudspeaker setup.

The weight, cost, and sound quality are what makes A Series a win.” And the system is so budget-friendly for small-medium as well as larger venues that you can’t go wrong. The low-mid frequency response with A15i coupled with the KS21i made for a great combination for the space. “Between our long tenure as a legacy L-Acoustics company and our client’s desire to choose the brand, it was a no-brainer. “A Series was designed for rooms like the Thunderbird,” said Brad Hollowood.

Thunderbird cafe and music hall