EAW’s AC6 ADAPTive line array system has been installed at The Mabel Tainter Theater in Menomonie, Wisconsin, replacing a point-source system installed in 2007 that struggled with feedback and balancing the orchestra pit against the stage. Built in 1889, the venue’s hand-carved woodwork, hand-painted stencilling and angled surfaces created both an acoustically unconventional space and a strict requirement that any new system disappear visually into the historic interior.
Metro Sound & Video, led by systems engineer and integration designer Jonathan Harlfinger, specified the AC6 having previously used it in cathedrals and contemporary churches. To meet the venue’s aesthetic requirements, the team worked with EAW on a colour-matching process using Rosco’s Metallix paint line, settling on an 80 per cent bronze, 20 perc ent gold mixture to match the surrounding woodwork under the venue’s lighting.
Local artist Wade Lambrigsten, owner of Vintage Sign Shop, then recreated the building’s historic stencil pattern directly onto the speaker grilles, which EAW shipped separately to allow the artwork to be applied before final assembly.
The AC6’s ADAPTive technology, paired with EAW’s Resolution software, gives the venue control over sound coverage within its angled, unconventional auditorium, directing sound towards the audience and away from reflective surfaces.
Spencer Berndt, technical facilities manager at The Mabel Tainter, said: “It was difficult to get any meaningful gain before feedback with actor microphones. And balancing the pit with the stage was always a challenge. I could make certain things quieter, but I couldn’t make the actors or pit any louder.”
Berndt added: “In low light, you almost can’t even tell the speakers are there. People who come to shows don’t even notice visually that we installed a new system.”
Harlfinger said: “This project honored the building while giving us the tools we need for the future. It’s exactly what The Mabel deserved.”
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