Eden Prairie, MN (August 14, 2023)—Municipal venues have to be ultra-flexible when it comes to audio production, able to handle everything from concerts, classes and theater productions to special events and even weddings—and they have to do it on gear that makes the most of the taxpayer’s dollar. That was a consideration that Nic Hentges of Audio Logic Systems faced recently when his company earned the bid for revamping the audio system of the 400-seat Staring Lake Amphitheatre in Eden Prairie, MN.
When the amphitheatre’s previous audio system started to fail, the city began to shop for more up-to-date solutions. “They were looking for a more modern system that would give them higher-end features,” said Hentges. “It had to be flexible and powerful enough to handle theatrical performances, while being easy to control during small events.”
The Mission Return to the Road
Audio Logic Systems went with Allen & Heath‘s AHM audio matrix processors to handle audio processing and distribution at the venue. For simpler events like Yoga classes and weddings, an AHM-32 provides system processing and control over a small number of microphones and playback sources. “If it’s a yoga instructor or city employee with limited audio experience, they can just grab an iPad and have control of the mics and playback while moving around in the audience area,” explained Hentges.
An Allen & Heath SQ-6 compact digital console was also included to allow for more hands-on mixing during larger events with a dedicated audio engineer. A DX-HUB and DX168 stageboxes were added to the system to provide distributed I/O around the stage as needed. “The clients had been avoiding digital consoles for many years,” explained Hentges. “They were really pleased once they started working with the SQ. All-in-all, I believe this system to be a great fit.”
