Como Lakeside Pavilion
House Loudspeaker System Refresh for Como Park Venue
The Lakeside Pavilion in St. Paul's Como Park has been an area landmark and community-sponsored summertime performance venue for generations. AVE was contacted in 2023 to provide recommendations for updating and improving the audio in their outdoor performance area. Specifically, the goal was to raise the capabilities of the house system to a point where more groups could use it without need of supplementary loudspeakers. In this way, The venue could serve a wider variety of performers while also gaining better control of coverage and reducing spill into adjacent residential neighborhoods.
AVE's role was provision of a higher performance yet more tightly controlled permanent system with simple, touch screen operation and easy interface/access to performer-provided equipment. After acoustical analysis of the space, and taking into account the budgetary requirements, a DSP controlled distributed point-source system with subwoofer augmentation was chosen.
The full range loudspeakers were from the Martin Audio's CDD-WR (weather rated) series, with 15 inch mains at left and right of the stage area and four 12 inch enclosures for side fill and delays. Finally, two SX118 tight-packed subwoofers above the center of the stage provide low-frequency reinforcement. All enclosures were attached to the gently sloping (18' - 20') ceiling of the space, minimizing clutter and maximizing both sight-lines and weather protection.
Combined with the QSC Q-sys Core 110 DSP and control system, now located safely in an inside storage room, the new loudspeaker arrangement could be precisely tuned such that the entire audience area received a consistent, high fidelity experience with tighter control and less leakage outside of that space.
AVE also provided custom wall mounted plates for connection of performer-furnished mixing equipment and microphone inputs to the house system. Finally, a pair of Audix wireless mic systems gives staff the ability to accomodate presenters, speakers, and simple acoustic groups with easy touchscreen volume controls.
