Powersoft amplifiers have been paired with Infinite Audio loudspeakers to drive the sound system at one of America’s most iconic LGBTQ+ venues, the Palace Bar, on the famed Ocean Drive in Miami’s South Beach, Florida. To satisfy the party-hungry crowd, the venue recently went through a complete overhaul of its sound system, adding more power to its shows courtesy of 14 Powersoft amplifiers.
Since its opening in 1988, the Palace Bar has built a nationwide reputation for exuberant drag brunches and live entertainment, with more than 1,500 guests visiting each weekend. The venue comprises four areas: café, dance floor, roof top and main outside area. Collaborating with Lord Toussaint, CEO of Miami based loudspeaker manufacturer Infinite Audio Systems, the owner of Palace Bar, Tom Donall, wanted to cover every part of the venue.
Donall and Toussaint designed the sound system together. The most important factor was to ensure the outside areas could withstand the elements, especially the salt from the ocean water, and run the live show seven days a week, twice a day, while maintaining the sound quality.
The Palace Bar audio setup consists of 50 Infinite Audio Systems speakers in the lower level, powered by 10 Powersoft amplifiers, and 12 speakers on the rooftop, also driven by Powersoft.
For the main stage and interior dance floor, Donall and Toussaint specified a two-way horn-driven Infinite Audio CDX 15V setup for mids and highs, powered by two Powersoft X4 four-channel amplifiers, which are designed for both touring and install applications.
The main sonic challenge was to equally cover and synchronise all areas during the live shows – knowing they are vastly different. To combat this, Toussaint deployed speaker systems individually for each area, as if they were standalone systems, and then united them as one, using a Biamp Tesira Server I-O for DSP.
Donall said: “Being one of the most well-known gay restaurant bars in the world and putting on a famous drag show, the sound and the clarity of the sound and the bass needs to be impactful and evenly distributed. When the girls perform, they lip-sync, and we needed the best sound to give the punch and clarity to bring this energy that we do at the Palace. This is why having high-quality audio was crucial for us. It sets the stage for the festive energy customers find here at the palace, making sure each visit is a special experience.”
Toussaint added: “Tom wanted warmth, clarity, and fuller tonality, and sometimes those don’t go hand in hand. But we were able to give him the lot. It’s a complex scenario because there is a live show performed on the terrasse at the front of the building that sort of bleeds out onto the sidewalk and the streets. It’s a very high-energy show that uses a lot of live microphones and house music tracks and it needs to work on the people, but then it also needs to be distributed across various areas throughout the venue.”
The venue also has to cater to top level DJs performing and have a system that is easy to adjust. The system has an on/off switch for the areas not used all the time and allows microphone volume levels to be altered.
Toussaint concluded: “I think without Powersoft X4s we couldn’t get what we wanted out of our 15Vs. There’s no room for 18-inch speakers with very low frequency [at Palace], so we did it with our extended response 15-inch systems, and they were up to the task because of how they’re driven. Our lowest speaker load is a 4-ohm load, but it makes a very big difference that these amplifiers are merciless across every brand. They do everything well, it’s all optimised, and we think it’s as important as our loudspeakers to build systems using Powersoft amplification.”
Donell is also delighted with the end result, saying the Infinite Audio-Powersoft setup exceeds his expectations: “It’s fantastic. Seeing people leave the venue with smiles on their face, already planning their next visit, is what it’s all about for me. And the sound really ties the experience all together.”
