D.A.S. Audio Deployed at the Stage In Miami Take an old warehouse space, convert it into a contemporary nightspot, toss in two bars, both indoor and outdoor seating areas, a dance floor, and then rotate three bands per night to keep things lively and you have The Stage -- Miami's newest music performance venue. Having opened January 7, The Stage offers music ranging from R&B to jazz to pop/rock and even some New Age. The venue's sound system is drawn from the catalog of D.A.S. Audio. Interface Sound, a Miami-based sound services firm that specializes in live sound for concerts and the special events/corporate industrial markets while also maintaining a presence in the commercial installation business, was contracted to design and install the new sound reinforcement system at The Stage. Ralph Alvarez, Interface Sound's owner/operator and designer of the sound system, says, "The Stage is an area roughly 3,500 sq. ft., with a stage positioned along the back wall of the space. Because the venue has a wide range of music performances, we needed a loudspeaker system with the ability to accommodate jazz performers while being just as capable of handling the extra SPL requirements when there's dancing. For this reason, I decided to create a system with multiple zones that could easily be switched on or off to best adapt to the music of the moment." The primary loudspeaker system at the venue consists of six D.A.S. Audio Aero 8A ultra compact, powered, two-way line array elements-flown three modules on each side of the stage. Low end accompaniment is provided by three LX-215A self-powered subwoofers, which are discreetly positioned underneath the stage in a recessed cubicle. Two D.A.S. SML-15A stage monitors handle monitoring chores for the performers. To provide fill for when the dance floor area is in use, the Interface Sound crew positioned two D.A.S. Avant 118A powered horn-bass subwoofers in front of the stage that face down over the dance floor. Similarly, there are two Avant 15A powered, compact full-range loudspeakers located at the opposite end of the dance floor -- against the wall -- that are angled downward. Both sets of loudspeakers are on switches that enable the house sound engineer to enable/disable this zone as required. The VIP area, which is located to stage right, consists of another zone. Here, the Interface Sound crew deployed two D.A.S. Variant 25A powered, mid-high array elements plus a single Avant 18A powered subwoofer. Additionally, the outside terrace is yet another zone. Coverage throughout this area is provided by two D.A.S. DR-8 ultra-compact, two-way polypropylene loudspeaker enclosures, which are specifically designed to withstand the elements. As with the dance floor area, these zones can be enabled/disabled are required. Alvarez adds, "With the exception of the DR-8 loudspeakers on the patio, the rest of the equipment is all self-powered. This was a huge factor during the design phase of this project, as we really didn't want - or, for that matter, have the space for--a separate rack full of power amps. By going with self-powered loudspeakers, we were able to minimize electrical installation costs while at the same time ensuring the loudspeakers had amps that were properly matched and optimized for each type of enclosure. The D.A.S. Aero 8As have amazing clarity and range -- in no small part because of the fact that the power amps are so well matched to the transducers." "The DAS Audio sound reinforcement system provides even coverage throughout the space, it's extremely musical, and the fact that the various zones can be switched on or off as needed adds tremendous versatility," he says . "In the short time the venue has been open; we've received high praise for the versatility of the sound system. The musicians love it, the SPL levels on the dance floor are just right to keep the crowd engaged, and most importantly, our client is thrilled. I couldn't be happier with the way everything turned out." 
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