Tag: AHM

Cornerstone Tavern in Raleigh, North Carolina is a unique bar and music venue, made up of three separate houses connected by a large shared patio. The communal patio space can be separated or combined using a central bar area.

In the years before their recent audio upgrade, Cornerstone was utilizing separate analog processors for audio distribution at each of the three respective houses. “The system got complicated and overwhelming,” noted Scott Carneval, integrator and designer with Precision Audio in Raleigh. “There was buzz, among other issues. One ofthe old processors died and couldn’t be replaced. Allen & Heath’s AHM platform was the perfect replacement.”

All houses are now networked together, each controlling their own front patio, a side patio, and the indoor sound, in addition to the back patio. Up to five DJs can perform simultaneously on the property, with each zone choosing which DJ they’d like to listen to. A standard music streaming device is also an available option for listening, along with one of eight television feeds.

A 64×64 Allen & Heath AHM-64 processor is at the heart of the upgraded audio system, with an AR2412 I/O expander in one house, and an AR84 in another, allowing for plug-and-play distributed inputs and outputs for DJs and TV feeds.

The team at Precision Audio also built a custom application for the end users to control and manage their audio system using Allen & Heath’s free Custom Control platform. Custom Control allows for installers to design tailored applications using an intuitive drag-and-drop editing software. The custom application can then easily be loaded up on any Android, iOS, Windows, or MacOS device – as well as pre-configured Allen & Heath
CC touch panels.

Precision Audio built Cornerstone Tavern a simple layout: source selectors for each zone to choose which DJ, music server, or local TV they’d like to listen to – along with respective volume control. The staff can quickly log in, choose the house they’re wanting to make an adjustment to, pick the patio or area, and make the change.

“Building out the iPad and iPhone apps was straightforward and easy, it just works,” noted Carneval. “We were hesitant to pass digital audio from one building to another, but the system is rock solid. They’ve had no issues and no support calls since the integration.”

Staring Lake Amphiteatre is a 400-seat outdoor performance space in Eden Prairie, MN. The city-owned venue is used for theatrical productions, concerts, weddings, and special events.

When the amphitheatre’s previous audio system started to fail, they began to shop for more up-to-date solutions. “They were looking for a more modern system that would give them higher end features,” noted Nic Hentges of Audio Logic Systems, who earned the bid for the project. “It had to be flexible and powerful enough to handle theatrical performances, while being easy to control during small events.”

The team at Audio Logic Systems explored multiple product lines before deciding on Allen & Heath’s AHM platform to manage audio at the facility. “We felt like the cost and feature set made for an incredible fit,” recalled Hentges. AHM series audio matrix processors offer scalable audio processing and distribution with multiple control options.

For simpler events like Yoga classes and weddings, an AHM-32 provides system processing and easy control over a small number of microphones and playback sources – thanks to an intuitive IP-6 rotary controller with LCD displays, as well as a custom application the installers designed using Allen & Heath’s Custom Control editor. “If it’s a yoga instructor or city employee with limited audio experience, they can just grab an iPad and have control of the mics and playback while moving around in the audience area,” explained Hentges.

The custom tailored app can run on any iOS, Android, Windows, or Mac device on the AHM’s network. “Our lead engineer found the AHM platform very easy to work with,” said Hentges. “He’s excited about putting it on other projects.”

An Allen & Heath SQ-6 compact digital console was also included to allow for more hands-on mixing during larger events with a dedicated audio engineer. A DX-HUB and DX168 stageboxes were added to the system to provide distributed I/O around the stage as needed. “The clients had been avoiding digital consoles for many years,” explained Hentges. “They were really pleased once they started working with the SQ. All-in-all, I believe this system to be a great fit.”