Recognized by the American Disc Jockey Association as a leading DJ service company in the South, New Orleans-based Countdown Sound & Productions has been raising the bar on corporate and private events for over 20 years.
For the last five years, the company has grown exponentially, while relying almost exclusively on the Bose L1 Portable Line Array sound system from Bose Professional.
Owner Phil Parrino says the total of 16 L1 systems he owns (eight L1 Model II, four L1 Model 1S and four L1 Compact systems), along with 20 B1 subs, eight B2 subs and three PackLite power amplifiers, are a reliable, portable and sonically superior audio infrastructure that has allowed him to continuously build his successful business.
Parrino cites the L1 systems’ ability to completely cover a room with full-range music, as another reason why the L1 systems are the only ones he’ll send out with his DJs.
“The sound, their size, their reliability and even their looks — there’s so many reasons I love using L1 systems,” says Parrino, who started his career in entertainment as a part-time DJ while in college, a vocation he continued even after he earned his degree in nursing. After hurricane Katrina, he decided to follow his dreams and become a full-time DJ. Employing the L1 systems five years ago helped Parrino substantially grow the DJ business he began two decades earlier.
“We’re often working high-end weddings and other formal events, so the way the L1 systems look is hugely important,” Parrino explains, adding that the Bose brand also connotes a sense of quality with these types of clients. “They have Bose in their homes,” he says. “They know that sound.”
The L1 systems’ sleekness not only helps with aesthetics but also with the equally practical aspect of transportation: “They are incredibly portable, “ he says. “My DJs have small cars — I can put three L1 systems in a little Toyota, and one system can cover a gig for a relatively large crowd.”
Finally, says Parrino, the L1 systems are known for their durability. He’s planning on acquiring several new L1 Model II systems in the very near future to replace several of his older L1 units, not because they’ve worn out but because they’ve picked up a few nicks and scuffs along the way during their very busy careers.
“Those systems sound as good as they did when they were new, but I just want to have every system that I send out look like new, too,” he says.