Brenau Pearce Auditorium

New Life to a Historic Theatre

CLIENT

Brenau University

INDUSTRIES

Educational

LOCATION

Gainesville, Georgia

COMPLETION

December 2017

TECHNOLOGIES

Audio

Our Solution Story

Pearce Auditorium is a 700-seat historic opera house on the campus of Brenau University in northeast Georgia. Dedicated in 1897, the theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has hosted such prominent performers and speakers as Dave Brubeck, Helen Keller, and the New York City Opera.

After Pearce Auditorium suffered water damage to its stage and associated audio inputs, Brenau asked dB Integrations to repair the damage and re-wire its existing audio system. Addressing the problem holistically, dB recommended completely redoing the theatre’s 40-year-old audio infrastructure. The analog system had survived well beyond its expected lifespan, and it made no sense for Brenau to invest money in a temporary, patchwork solution.

Audio System

dB added audio inputs to both sides of the stage, the floor, and the back wall. We wired all audio inputs to a new stage rack above the stage that now serves as the “brain” of the whole audio system, along with new microphones and amplifiers.

Mixing is now controlled via an Allen & Heath GLD digital console. A Dante network system connects via a simple CAT5 cable and enables easy use of the system by outside groups, letting them tap their own system into the Pearce system without disrupting the current settings.

Recap

The 19th-century Pearce Auditorium is now equipped for the 21st century, able to continue serving as a valuable resource for Brenau’s current and future students.