“Working in a prestigious venue like Budweiser Gardens helps us become a better company and provide better solutions, and I
look forward to being able to sit within the facility with my own family and listen to the system we installed. That’s exciting.”
-The PA Shop’s Ryan Schroeyens
StudioLive 16.4.2 console and three QSC
TSC touch panels.
Additional FOH infrastructure includes
a pair of Yamaha HS8 reference monitors
in the 200 Level sound control booth, but
those were installed earlier, Baroudi says.
“After 16 years, we popped one of our
preexisting reference loudspeakers, so we
called Ryan and asked him to replace them
and I OK’d the HS8s before I even saw them
because I know Yamaha is a good name for
reference monitors.”
There was some debate over the
console, however. “The PreSonus board is
probably overkill for what we actually need,”
Baroudi says. “We use two mics for our
hockey and basketball games and probably
no more than six lines at any given time,
but it took 16-plus years to switch the PA
out and we just don’t want to be fifteen
years behind in terms of a console.”
In all, there are five zones to control,
Morrison says: the rink itself, the bowl, the
suites, the concourse, and the external areas
of the venue where other events are some-
times held.
The Q-Sys solution, obviously, has
made a significant difference sonically and
in terms of workflow for Baroudi and Grant
compared to their previous “jerry-rigged”
setup. “Now, with it all properly done
BUDWEISER GARDENS
EQUIPMENT LIST
LOUDSPEAKERS
12 x JBL AM5212-66
12 x JBL AM5212-64
8 x JBL AM5212-95
8 x JBL ASB-4128 Dual 18” Subwoofer
8 x JBL AC2212/00
8 x JBL AC26/26
58 x JBL Control 28-1
Custom Rigging Brackets
through the board and Q-Sys, it’s much bet-
ter and pretty simple to operate.”
Morrison’s experience prior to joining
The PA Shop in 2017 encompasses record
production, live audio, and extensive expe-
rience on IT installations; subsequently, he
undertook the Q-Sys design and topology.
The fact that the original drawings
didn’t match the physical reality in the
arena was something he simply took in
stride. “There was a lot of, ‘What? Where’s
that going?’ But with the help of the others
labeling what’s going where, as long as you
understand the flow, it’s really not that com-
plicated. And the guys I work with are great.
That’s the main thing – being on the same
page and working together.”
Morrison also tuned the system and
programmed the console to ensure that
operation was as user friendly as possible.
“I’ve produced and mixed 50 records, so I
have an idea of what sounds good. I shot
the room to see where there were delays,
used a standard sort of ‘AC/DC hockey
soundtrack’ to tune, and did a flat EQ so you
can turn it really loud and it sounds great. I
also gave them options so they can control
everything. Left and right go up – it’s the
bowl and ice – then they turn up their mas-
ter fader for the subs as loud as they want
to push that bass.” What was tricky for The PA Shop team, Ba-
roudi interjects, was the fact that the arena
remained a working venue throughout the
install. “Often in the summer, we’ll shut down
for a month or two, but this summer we’re
busy and so that put the pressure on.”
But again, it was nothing insurmount-
able. As Morrison sums up: “It was tough, but
we went with it. You just go in and do the
hard stuff when you can. I don’t get stressed
out over that.” It’s a matter of perspective, he
adds. “I mean I remember putting an IT sys-
tem in a hospital emergency ward where if it
wasn’t running, patients couldn’t get the care
they needed. You just work around it, and we
were all on the same page, which made that
far less challenging. It’s all communication,
right?”
The end result is something all parties
can be proud of, though as Schroeyens says,
the process was as important as the finished
product. “Working in a prestigious venue like
Budweiser Gardens helps us become a bet-
ter company and provide better solutions,
and I look forward to being able to sit within
the facility with my own family and listen to
the system we installed. That’s exciting.”
PROCESSING 2 x Clear-Com CC-300 Single Ear Headsets
8 x Clear-Com CC-400 Double Ear Headsets
12 x Digiflex 25ft Male-Female XLR Cables
2 x QSC Q-Sys Core 510i DSP
1 x QSC Q-Sys I/O Frame
11 x QSC Q-Sys CIML4 4-Channel Input
Cards
6 x QSC Q-Sys COL4 4-Channel Line Output
Cards
1 x QSC Q-Sys TSC-7W Touch Panel
1 x QSC Q-Sys TSC-7T Touch Panel
1 x QSC Q-Sys TSC-47W-G2 Touch Screen
FOH
1 x PreSonus StudioLive 16.4.2 AI
2 x Furman M-8DX Power Conditioners
2 x Yamaha HS8 Booth Reference Monitors
2 x Extreme Networks Summit X440-G2-
24P Network Switches
AMPLIFIERS
9 x QSC CXD4.5Q
8 x QSC CXD4.3Q
42 PROFESSIONAL SOUND
COMMUNICATIONS
12 x Clear-Com RS-701 Beltpacks
Kevin Young is a Toronto-based musician and
freelance writer.
ASSISTED LISTENING SYSTEM
1 x Listen LT-800-216-01 FM Hearing Assist
Transmitter
1 x Listen LA-122 Universal Antenna
1 x Listen LA-326 Rack Mount Kit
8 x Listen LR-400-216 Portable FM Receiver
8 x Listen LA-362 Rechargeable AA NiMH
Batteries
8 x Listen LA-164 Ear Speaker
1 x Listen LA-350-01
8 x Unit Charging/Storage Station
PATCHING
4 x Custom Wall Plates
1 x Radial Stage Bug SB 5W