Essex, a new live music venue located in the Arts District of Rochester, NY that’s recently booked performances by bands that include Joywave and Danielle Ponder, is outfitted with a main sound reinforcement system headed by HDL 30-A line arrays from RCF.
“The main focus of the venue is to showcase national touring artists that might otherwise drive right past Rochester,” says Dave Drago, talent buyer and one of four co-owners of Essex. Drago was tapped by SCN Hospitality, a Rochester-based restaurant group, to oversee the design of the venue’s systems on every level of the concert experience, and he adds, “SCN’s hospitality really shines throughout Rochester. Our vision with Essex was to add a viable concert venue to that portfolio, offering people a beautiful space to enjoy good music and great service.”
Drago started out as a studio owner and engineer, weaving a career across North America, gaining experience as an artist and tour manager, producer, songwriter, musical director, touring musician, and most applicably, general manager for the heralded Concerts at Point of The Bluff seasonal concert series in the Finger Lakes. When the search for the Essex house system began, he explains, “I knew RCF products had a great reputation, and RCF was the only system we wanted at our music hall.”
Working with integrator Audio Images, Batavia, NY, Drago continues, “When I spoke with Joe Barnes [VP of operation at Audio Images], he suggested the HDL 30-As [2×4] over three SUB 9006 subwoofers—all were available and ready for installation. We couldn’t move fast enough to get the system, as fast as everything was moving, I felt we had hit our stride.”
“When Dave contacted us and explained they wanted to create a premier venue in Rochester, RCF was the only choice,” Barnes adds. “With the HDL 30-As, SUB 9006s with HDL 6-A for front fills, the system fit perfectly in that room. After RCF came in and helped tune the system, I believe there is no room in Rochester that sounds better. Additionally, Essex added NX 915-SMA monitors and have received much praise for their clarity and punch in other systems we deploy. RCF delivers a complete solution.”
