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LEA Amps Power Popular Gastropub In Texas: Thirsty Lion

LEA Amps Power Popular Gastropub In Texas: Thirsty Lion

When Thirsty Lion Gastropub decided to expand to North Texas, they went with LEA Professional to optimize their audio systems and give their guests a one-of-a-kind experience.

Let’s dive in…

THE SPEC

LEA AMPS POWER POPULAR GASTROPUB IN TEXAS: THIRSTY LION

🏢 Venue: Thirsty Lion Gastropub | Dallas, TX

👷‍♂️ Integrator: Platinum AVL

🎶 Audio Spaces: Main Dining Areas, Outdoor Spaces, rooftop patio

🦈 Product Used: CONNECTSERIES  Mixture of  CS354 & CS702 (14 Total) 

THE VENUE

LEA AMPS POWER POPULAR GASTROPUB IN TEXAS: THIRSTY LION

THE INSTALL

LEA AMPS POWER POPULAR GASTROPUB IN TEXAS: THIRSTY LION

Paul Mar, system designer and engineer at Platinum AVL,  explained that the owners of the Thirsty Lion come from a nightclub background and as a result were very aware of how important good sound and good music is to the dining experience.

With the pedigree of LEA Professional giving Mar, the extra assurance he needed, he chose to specify eight Connect Series amps for the Grand scape location and six Connect Series amps for the Preston Hollow Location. Platinum AVL specified and installed a mixture of 702 and 354 Connect Series amplifiers in the venue. 

At the time when these new projects were getting underway, Platinum AVL was still sourcing another amplifier manufacturer but was on the lookout for a lighter, more compact amp with DSP. Paul Mar, system designer and engineer at Platinum AVL, explained that the team was nervous at first about trying a new brand when they began their search for fresh options. But their concerns quickly vanished as soon as they learned about LEA Professional’s team of industry veterans and their 200 years of combined experience. 

“I had heard a lot about LEA Professional, having seen them at Infocomm. Once I understood the brain trust that exists within the company, it gave me a huge amount of confidence in the product and, as a result, the project,” said Mar. “With multiple systems we install around the country, LEA amplifiers are perfect to meet that need with their reliability, feature set, technology, size, and weight.

The Grandscape location, the larger of the two, is split over two stories, with a bar and rooftop patio, plus 6,500 square feet of outdoor seating. The audio system provides a lighter background music mix at a lower volume level during the day, while building in the ability to crank things up during higher-capacity happy hours and livelier special events. Since the amps in Thirsty Lion are on 24/7, Platinum AVL and the team at the Thirsty Lion both agreed that a reliable amp with remote monitoring via the Cloud was a huge priority for them. With Texas being infamous for power outages, the team didn’t need to take any unnecessary risks, which made the LEA Professional Cloud Platform the most practical choice. 

“The Cloud has come to be crucial for us,” said Mar. There have already been instances where a power cut occurred that I wasn’t aware of and the Cloud allowed us to see the issue and resolve it. Without this, we would have had to contact a local technician at an extra cost to try to get someone down there before opening time.” 

Not only did the Cloud provide critical support, Platinum AVL also spoke highly of the customer support LEA Professional offered them. “When I need tech support, I have no problem feeling confident that I will get my answer right away or within a quick amount of time,” said Mar.  

For Mar and Platinum AVL, a Crestron integrator, the ability to integrate the Connect Series amplifiers into the AV system with the Crestron LEA Plugin was a major benefit. The Connect Series Crestron Control Module allows integrators to utilize the Crestron software platform to control and monitor essential functions and features within the Connect Series amplifier family.

THE CONCLUSION

LEA AMPS POWER POPULAR GASTROPUB IN TEXAS: THIRSTY LION

Overall, the team were extremely happy with the compact design, feature set, reliability and flexibility of the Connect Series amplifiers. Platinum AVL have already begun new projects using LEA Professional and plan on using the smart amp in future installs where possible.  

“I will always spec LEA amps for my projects from now on; I am genuinely impressed with them.”

We would like to thank Paul Mar and his team at Platinum AVL for choosing our amps for this killer installation and we hope that the audio systems will enhance and deliver flexible, reliable audio for guests at both Thirsty Lion locations for years to come.

Categories
Martin Audio

MICRO LINE ARRAYS CAN DELIVER MORE THAN JUST VOCAL CLARITY

There is a school of thought that micro line arrays are only good for vocal applications. This misconception comes from the type of projects where such a sound reinforcement system usually excels. However, these small format cabinets can also deliver much more musicality than people expect.

When consultants are recommending micro line arrays, it is usually due to a combination of two common factors. First, the application requires a sound system that will not take away from the aesthetics of a space. And second, the venue requires tight control over the audio to ensure intelligibility.

This combination means that houses of worship are often the most common application for micro line array systems like Martin Audio’s O-Line. And the reaction of users in that setting is overwhelmingly positive. “We are extremely satisfied with the performance of O-Line,” said Zachary Ward, Director of Communications, First Pentecostal Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas. “With such a unique room, including 42ft-high ceilings and several stained-glass windows reaching more than 28ft tall, O-Line provides even coverage and clarity while accomplishing our main goal, preserving the overall aesthetic of the room.”

“THEY WERE ECSTATIC ABOUT THE SYSTEM AND BLOWN AWAY WITH THE INTELLIGIBILITY AND MUSICALITY OF THE O-LINE SYSTEM.”

John Pierce, Director of Sales, Audio-Video Group

However, once the system is put into use, the full capabilities of O-Line become clear. “It’s a very transparent PA — it’s not lumpy in the bottom end,” noted Mozaix Director Paul Tucker, discussing St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Melbourne. “We had a consecration service featuring a fantastic viola player, and the sound of that instrument was beautiful — really stunning.”

“We wanted to let the choir master, minister and organist hear the quality over the area they wanted to cover, and they were all blown away,” agreed Roger McMullan, Rea Sound Project Manager, reflecting on an upgrade project at Belfast’s St Mark’s Church. “In fact, they can now hire it out so that bands can play through O-Line as a full range system without the need for additional subwoofers.”

Surprise at the level of musicality possible with a micro line array is a common theme. Most users are expecting the even coverage and improved intelligibility, but expect to sacrifice musical performance as a result. The response when venues find out that they don’t need to make musical compromises is always positive.

“They were ecstatic about the system and blown away with the intelligibility and musicality of the O-Line system,” reveals John Pierce, Director of Sales for Audio-Video Group, recalling a project at Washington DC’s historic Capitol Hill Baptist Church. “And even without subs, they were happy with the range those boxes provide—they go pretty low and sound good. I love the O-Line. I’ve done several systems in more traditional churches and they’re fantastic for speech and music as well.”

The result of these reactions has seen an increasing number of people starting to specify micro line arrays for a wide range of projects, from planetariums to conference venues. “The client mentioned in our first meeting that he wanted something that would visually flow with the interior and provide full coverage allowing small bands to play through the speakers for special events,” noted John Wojciechowski, HBS’ Engineering Services Manager AV when discussing a sophisticated conference space at Gentian Financial Inc. “That is when the O-Line came to mind – small and subtle footprint, amazing speech capability, consistent and discreet music coverage.”

As the full capabilities of micro line arrays are beginning to be seen in more applications, there is sure to be an increase in demand for these small, yet powerful systems. “O-Line has proven time and again over the years that it is a flexible system that can deliver outstanding results in a variety of spaces,” said Dom Harter, Managing Director at Martin Audio. “Adding in a subwoofer will often make the system even more musical, and with O-Line and compatible subs currently in stock, ready to ship, there is a real opportunity for people who are struggling to get hold of other solutions to give micro line arrays a try. I’m certain that they will be impressed with the results.”