Impact Concerts Partners with WSDG to Bring Sound to Kingston's Newest Live Event Space On December 30 and 31, the Felice Brothers played a pair of packed concerts for the grand opening of Assembly -- the former site of St. Joseph's Catholic School, now reimagined as Kingston, New York's newest live events space. The venue is the latest venture of event promoters Drew Frankel and Peter Himberger, of Impact Concerts, in a string of projects designed to inject fresh energy into the arts and music culture of the Hudson Valley. Impact Concerts partnered with local developers CB Developers, who purchased and renovated the space with the vision of creating a thriving center for small to mid-sized events that could serve as a community gathering space for live music, dance, theatre, and film screenings. To ensure that Assembly could boast a sound quality that matched the vision for the space, Assembly founders brought on acoustic consulting and media systems engineering firm -- and Hudson Valley neighbors -- WSDG. Impact Concerts have been curating concerts and live events in the Hudson Valley and Catskills area since 2017, and during that time have become carefully attuned to the needs of the area in terms of programming. The concept for Assembly was the result of seeing a void in 450-capacity event spaces that could offer the quality of experience that Frankel and Himberger wanted to provide. "The greater Hudson Valley has really needed a venue like this for a long time," explains Frankel. "The pandemic shuttered many of the older mid-sized venues and as a result, there's been very little that can hold events of this size at the kind of quality we think they deserve. "With Assembly, we really wanted to dream big and push the limits of what a space of this size could do." "Impact hosts a wide variety of events that encapsulate the arts culture here in the Hudson Valley, from concerts and comedy to live theatre, film screenings, and community events," adds Himberger. "The opportunity was there to envision a space that could support all of these while also raising the bar for what such a space could achieve in the future. "Given that, and given the AV requirements for events such as these, it was a natural step to partner with WSDG and integrators DNR Laboratories to push the boundaries of how much quality we could bring to the sound of the space." The WSDG Design team, consisting of founder, John Storyk, partners Joshua Morris and Jonathan Bickoff, and project manager Adam Paiva, was tasked with developing a comprehensive plan of acoustic treatments for the interior of the venue that would optimize it as a performance and event space. As Hudson Valley natives themselves, the team recognized the opportunity to elevate live performance experiences for an arts and music community that they knew very well. "Assembly is a great example of how the area has been investing in revitalizing its performing arts community with high-quality events spaces that rival anything, anywhere," says Morris. "These projects are very close to our hearts as locals, ones in which we can really participate not only as consultants but as patrons too, so it makes it extra special for us to be involved and deliver what we know is possible as acoustic designers." This process included detailed acoustic measurement of the space and developing an appropriate treatment package that would create the desired acoustic effect while also matching the historic interior aesthetics of the space and respecting the project budget. Improvements to the existing windows were also designed to control noise transmission outdoors towards the surrounding neighbors. "When we first saw the space, it looked amazing but we knew that it would suffer from some of the acoustic issues expected in a historic 110-year-old assembly hall," says Paiva. "The goal was to keep that aesthetic, but make it sound like a modern high caliber rock-and-roll music venue. We collaborated closely with the design and ownership team to carefully select an acoustic treatment plan that enhanced the aesthetics and historic feel, and worked together with the sound system to deliver a world class sound experience." In addition to acoustic treatments, WSDG also partnered with DNR Laboratories to design and install a state-of-the-art d&B Audiotechnik Y-Series line array with V-GSUBS -- the same high-quality system utilized in Levon Helm's Barn in neighboring Woodstock, New York. The system also includes stage monitoring consisting of d&B MAX2 wedges and a C7 drum sub. "At the heart of the operation are a pair of Allen & Heath dLive consoles with dedicated stage racks for FOH and monitors," explains DNR Laboratories Donnie Gamsjager. "A custom-made 56-channel transformer three-way splitter -- designed specifically for this project by Entertainment Manufacturing Group -- ensures true tour-grade practices are held. The system is supported by a full Dante and Cat6a-based infrastructure, with robust, custom IO plates placed in strategic locations across stage, house, and work areas. And while our setup runs on a seamless Dante-based digital network perfect for touring, we've got a proven analog backup in place to ensure smooth operation even in the event of network issues." "We worked closely with the Assembly team, the builder, and WSDG to nail a solution that honors the 'live rock vibe', while also respecting the historic charm of the venue." The opening concerts at Assembly were a potent demonstration of the new venue's capabilities -- receiving rave reviews from both attendees and performers alike. With a packed calendar of events leading into 2025, the new venue is off to a running start. "It was only the first show and I already felt that familiar warmth that all good rooms have," shares James Felice, post-performance. "I am joyfully anticipating the thrum of bands and artists and music and joyful celebration that this warm and good room will host for years to come!" "The level of excitement around Assembly is more than we could have ever hoped for, truly," adds Frankel. "There's so many possibilities opened up to us now as events planners, and we're very grateful for all of the partners who participated in bringing Assembly to life." Concludes Morris, "Anything that improves access to music, support for musicians, or the quality of a music experience is something we always invest in, none more so when it's something in our own community." 
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