Based in Wisconsin, Pinnacle Audio provides live event audio services including the complex demands of theatrical productions. Owner and lead audio engineer Matthew Pea makes extensive use of Allen & Heath mixing consoles, citing their intuitive design, powerful processing and sound quality.
Pea’s journey in audio started in high school, working sound for his school auditorium. He later attended Madison Media Institute and founded Pinnacle Audio, specialising in the unique needs of theatre and running sound for Kids From Wisconsin, featuring 22 singer/dancers backed by a 14-piece band.
‘When I started with Kids from Wisconsin, they had an [Allen & Heath] iLive mixer,’ he says. ‘I became so familiar and happy with the workflow that I just stuck with Allen & Heath.’
Pea currently finds the workflow of the A&H dLive to be unmatched: ‘I can work much faster on Allen & Heath desks compared to other consoles,’ he explains. ‘You can pick and choose different ways to do the same thing, depending on how your brain functions. Routing, for example – you can do it through the routing screen, or using the physical mix buttons.’
Pea also finds dLive’s scene management tools crucial for the smooth transitions required during a live theatrical performance. ‘The update function is great,’ he says of dLive’s ability to change a parameter on many saved scenes simultaneously. ‘I also use a lot of global safes and recall filters, as well as crossfade times.’
The added benefit of triggering QLab sound effects directly from the console streamlines his process even further - allowing him to control both levels and audio cues from the same device using custom Midi strings.
‘I like being able to see all of the wireless information right on the screen,’ he notes, in reference to dLive’s Shure and Sennheiser wireless integration, which displays AF and RF levels, battery health, and gain controls for wireless mics on the console. ‘I just assign the mics to the right channels, and I have everything I need right in front of me.’
Pea convinced a local high school to upgrade to a dLive system, and the difference in sound quality was evident immediately, even before any adjustments were made. ‘The school’s directors commented on the improvement right away,’ Pea recalls. ‘I told them that I hann’t even done any processing yet…’
Pea’s success is evident through numerous awards for theatrical production, having received several Jerry Awards, which recognise excellence in high school theatre in Wisconsin. His work on a production of Frozen, which was selected for the International Thespian Festival, underscores his dedication to creating immersive soundscapes.
‘Allen & Heath consoles are my preference for any event,’ Pea closes. ‘I don’t see that changing any time soon.’
