The Gaslamp in Long Beach, one of Southern California’s best-known night spots, hosts artists ranging from hard rock and metal to punk, acoustic, and even contemporary classical performances, as well as comedy, DJs, tribute acts, karaoke, and televised sporting events.
The Gaslamp recently upgraded its house sound system, headed by new Renkus-Heinz VARIA modular point source line arrays. As owner Mike Newfeld explains, the club’s acoustics have long been a struggle.
“It’s a very boomy room,” says Newfeld. “It’s got high ceilings, concrete floors, and just not very good sound dispersion—a lot of pockets that are dead space or too loud. The challenge has been to find a system that would deliver consistent coverage and sound good, no matter where you are in the room.”
Engineer Tony Purvis agrees. “It was really, really hard to get a good mix throughout the whole club – to achieve that ‘comfortable loud,’ where everyone can enjoy themselves, enjoy the music and the performance but still be able to hold a conversation.”
Purvis notes that VARIA has completely changed the equation for the club. “The experience that I’ve had with the new VARIA system has been just amazing,” he says. “The design of the system has enabled complete coverage. This system makes my life easier.”
“We couldn’t be happier with the new VARIA system,” adds Newfeld. “Our customer base noticed immediately. It’s loud, clear, and clean, without blowing people away. Thanks to the new VARIA system, we are now known as the premiere live music venue in Southern California.”