Bauer Audio Visual Counts on Meyer for Corporate Events
The Meyer Sound File - Summer 1997

Intelligibility, consistency, reliability - these are key qualities for sound systems used at corporate events, says Mitch Hodge, a sound engineer with Bauer Audio Visual. Hodge should know: he creates sound systems used for major corporate events hosted by clients such as Polygram and NEC. To ensure that corporate audiences hear every word and every musical note, Hodge relies on Meyer sound systems and SIM® System II.

"I'm a huge Meyer fan," says Hodge. "Meyer systems give me consistent, excellent results. The intelligibility of the spoken word is very important at these events. The speakers are often high profile people, and it's important that they be understood by everyone in the audience. With Meyer, I can be sure that audiences hear the whole event. Nothing is missed."

As an example of an event with high profile speakers, Hodge cites PC Forum, a conference sponsored by EDadventure at the Westin La Paloma in Tucson, Arizona, on March 24, 25, and 26. The conference was attended by one thousand people, and featured speakers such as John R. Walter, President and CEO of AT&T; Reed Hunt, Chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission; James Barksdale, CEO of Netscape; and author Michael Crichton. Hodge used a Meyer system with MSL-2As and UPA-1As, which performed flawlessly. Hodge says that Bauer's inventory of MSL-2s and UPAs still provides high quality sound after many years of use.

"I've been using some of the same boxes, CEUs, and controllers for fifteen or sixteen years. We use them every day, and they're still performing great-really kicking. People keep asking if want to sell my old UPAs, but I never do."

Hodge does find occasion to use newer Meyer loudspeakers, though. On March 4, for example, Hodge provided a self-powered Meyer system for an event hosted by Polygram Film Entertainment at Remmi's Restaurant in New York City. The event featured DVD with a surround sound system. Hodge selected Meyer Sound CQ-1s and 650-Ps for the main sound system, with UPA-1As and UPA-1Cs as front-fill. "It was a top-of-the-line system," says Hodge. "Very powerful, especially considering that there were only about thirty people in the audience. Some events call for the very best."

At the event at Remmi's Restaurant, and at the Polygram Managing Delegates Conference, which Bauer also supplied a Meyer system for, Hodge faced a most discriminating audience: record company executives.

"They're a demanding audience," says Hodge. "They want it right. They know what right is. There's no room for compromise. That's why I like using Meyer."

Other recent corporate events that Hodge has worked on include west coast and east coast tours for NEC, and a meeting for IDG (International Data Group) at the 4 Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara in February. The IDG event was attended by 600 people. Hodge used MSL-2As, UPA-1As, and 650-Ps.

Some corporate events take Hodge to venues far removed from restaurants and hotel conference rooms. For a concert in January sponsored by Legend Productions, Hodge traveled to Palamino Island, a small island off the coast of Puerto Rico. "Getting a sound system out there was a challenge," says Hodge. "We had to load up trucks, get them on a ferry, and then unload and set up on a beach. But I was working with the local Meyer Sound dealer, Wichie Sound, and they did a great job. They arrived early, worked hard, and made sure that everything ran smoothly."

"That's another reason I like working with Meyer," says Hodge. "You call a Meyer dealership, and you get all the right people. You know that if Meyer's involved, the job's going to be done right."