The Goss Opera House, one of three early 19th century opera houses located in Watertown, SD, recently re-opened following a comprehensive renovation that includes a new sound reinforcement system headed by RCF HDL Series line arrays and supporting components.
The venue has a 500-seat capacity (seated, standing room, and balcony) joined by12 box seats that include a private hospitality suite, with a restaurant and bar on the first floor while the opera hall events operate on the second and third levels.
“When it came time to choose an audio system, we had Jeff Engen from Audio Connections [based in Brookings, SD] to consult a few options with us,” says Chris Paulson, entertainment director at The Goss Opera House. “Jeff brought in an RCF HDL line array system alongside a comparable JBL system, which we benchmarked side by side. It didn’t take long to hear RCF had a much cleaner sound. There was more clarity on the mids and high-end as compared to the JBL system — we were quickly impressed.
“We have received great feedback from regional, as well as touring, sound engineers on the quality of the RCF system, as it complements the natural acoustics of a room,” he continues. “Having been built in 1889, the HDL system works well in unison with the room. While more expensive, we have been very happy with our choice.”
The main loudspeaker set incorporates left and right arrays each comprised of six HDL 30-A modules, working with two dual 18-inch SUB 9006-AS subwoofers beneath the stage. Three HDL 6-A loudspeakers supply frontfill and two more C 3108-126 loudspeakers are positioned as sidefills below the balcony. The system is run with a Midas M32 console, with a combination of Sennheiser, Shure and Audix microphones as well as Radial DIs on hand. Additional sound treatments were also implemented in the room.
“We knew immediately some of the challenges the space presented,” Engen explains. “The space itself has great natural acoustics for orchestras and opera, but for live music and playback, under the original tin roof, we knew we needed a good quality line array system to focus sound where we needed it to be. We knew that the Goss was planning on bringing more than plays and operas, and that they needed a system that was going to handle all of it. The HDL system rocks.”
The Goss Opera House is now hosting regional, national, and international talent, with some highlights includeing Killer Queen (international touring Queen tribute band), alt-rockers Soul Asylum as well as The Silhouettes from America’s Got Talent. Other recent notable events included a Ukrainian benefit with international composer Calvin Jones and Menopause The Musical (longest running musical in Las Vegas history) in 2021. The Goss also hosted HBO to film an episode for the documentary series “We’re Here.”
