The Palace Theater originally opened in 1922 and is part of the Playhouse Square complex, an integral part of the Cleveland Theater District.
The venue, which seats 2,700, accommodates a mix of shows from touring productions to concerts.
Recently, the existing sound system was replaced and a new system was designed and installed by NAC Technologies under the leadership of senior audio engineer Rick Galbraith and company owner Dave Cooper.
The new sound system consists of 63 NEXO S12s and subs, NXAmps, and a Yamaha M7CL-48 digital console. The Palace replacement system was the third for NAC at Playhouse Square.
The company has installed NEXO products in two additional theaters at the complex. “We’ve had good success with the NEXO products in all three theaters,” states Galbraith.
“The elegant Palace is the grand dame of the complex, says Galbraith. Its 1981 audio system was well maintained but past its prime, with inadequacies in coverage and a low SPL.”
The key element in finalizing the decision to replace the Palace system came when Galbraith and Cooper were on a regional tour with Patty Lupone and Mandy Patinkin.
“The last stop on the tour was the Palace Theater, recalls Galbraith. We hung our own NEXO touring rig, so that over the course of 12 days, top management would have the opportunity to hear what they were about to purchase.”
NAC added three large line arrays, left, center, right, each consisting of eleven NEXO GEO S1210s and one S1230. NEXO GEO S1230s are also used for left/right upper box fill.
A Yamaha M7CL consoles was also been installed, and has been installed in the other Playhouse Square venues. “The M7CL is universally accepted on any tour rider, adds Galbraith. We’ve has also trained all local union engineers on the M7CL so that in any given theater, the mix engineer can just walk up and use it.“
