Cabo San Lucas, MX (December 13, 2017)––Rock n’ roll and favorite watering holes never get old, but audio systems do—which is why Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas recently updated its original circa-1990 PA with a Martin Audio Wavefront Precision Compact system.
The system was designed and commissioned by Jim Risgin of OSA International, Inc. working in collaboration with local contractors and Martin Audio distributor Audio Acoustica.
Risgin, who installed and tuned the system, noted, “Martin Audio WPC was chosen because it was the proper form factor, right size and had a good aesthetic look for the club. They needed a substantial PA, so we flew six WPC boxes a side with four SX218 subs mounted in the front face of the stage. The monitor complement includes four Martin Audio XE500s and four XE300s.”
The system will be used year-round, so Risgin chose the system with an eye towards longevity. “There’s a grand total of nine iKON iK42 amps installed for system control and DSP tuning is all done inside the amps,” he reported. “We used 2-box per channel resolution which worked out well; the coverage is spot on. All and all, the system did what we wanted it to do and more.”
Risgin offered that club manager/venue partner Jorge Viana was “ecstatic about the way it sounded” while the house engineers were “impressed” and “looking forward to mixing on it every day.”
But the big challenge, of course, was to see whether the new system would get Hagar’s approval. On first encountering the XE Series monitors, Risgin recalled, “Sammy walked up to the wedges, sang a phrase, looked over at Jim Jorgensen, his monitor engineer, and said, ‘I’ve never heard myself like that before.’ Then he looked at me and asked, ‘Are you the guy who’s responsible for this PA?’ before thanking me and saying, ‘First time I’ve ever heard myself in here.’”
As it turns out, the system was installed just in time for Hagar’s annual Red ‘Till I’m Dead – Sammy Hagar’s Rock-N-Roll Birthday Bash. This year’s edition marked the Red Rocker’s 70th year, so the event was filmed for a movie simulcast in 100 U.S. theaters, and featured a list of guest stars that included Toby Keith, James Hetfield, Dave Grohl, Kenny Chesney, Eddie Money, Chad Kroger, Bob Weir, Jerry Cantrell and Alex Gonzalez of Mana.
