Premier Product

When you’re a ‘sound guy’, a new PA purchase is always going to be more than just about the dollars and cents. Justin Myers owns and runs Premier Sound & Lighting in Toowoomba. He’s a sound guy and mixes most of the shows he runs. So when you think about the hundreds of hours spent listening to your PA, it does make sense to invest in a system you love.

“As far as ROI goes, it’ll take a while to pay off this new PA but it has an amazingly good sound. Almost hi-fi.” Justin is referring to a Adamson S7-based rig he’s recently purchased. His system comprises S7 mid/high boxes a side and a complement of S118 subs. It supplements an Adamson point source combo he purchased a little earlier, comprising S10Ps and S119 subs.

The rig replaces a much larger but older Turbosound Flexarray system he sold onto a rental company in Darwin. He retained the Lab.gruppen PLM amps which proved to be the recommended drive for the Adamson PA.

“The Turbo system served me very well. But it was previous-generation technology and the line array boxes (based on 10-inch drivers) were heavy. If you wanted to ground stack that PA you’d need four crew just to get it in position. The Adamson S7 is a smaller box and a much lighter box (~15kg) and, at a pinch, can be a one-man setup.”

Crewing is an important consideration for Justin. Not only because extra crew is a big expense, but also because there’s not much tech crew to be had in Toowoomba. “There’s crew to be had in Brisbane, but in Toowoomba, help is scarce.”

STANDING OUT

The lower weight and size without sacrificing much in power and coverage provided by the Adamson S7, is pretty compelling. Going with a top-tier PA without just being another me-too PA provider also was a consideration. 

“There’s a lot of d&b in Brisbane and I didn’t think it was wise to offer the same product as everyone else. That said, there’s another rental company on the Gold Coast who carries Adamson S7 so it’s nice to know there’s that cross-hire backup only a few hours away if either of us need it.”

PREMIER GOES PREMIUM

Premier Sound & Lighting services Toowoomba and areas to the west such as Roma. Apart from offering a range of sound, lighting and visual product, Premier has recently opened a rehearsal space on site, which is proving to be a favourite for the local band scene. Justin takes care of a lot of charity events, the occasional festival stage, such as the Woodford Folk Festival, and handles AV for a few of the larger venues in town.

Interestingly, Premier Sound & Lighting supplied PA for the ‘It’s a Bloke Thing’ charity gig in Toowoomba this year. The event has had the likes of Keith Urban perform and, traditionally, the audio contract went to a Brisbane-based outfit but Justin is convinced his PA upgrade contributed to winning the high profile account.

Justin doesn’t have world-beating ambitions, he’s happy to stick to his lane, and a compact array such as the S7 suits his clientele down to the ground. 

“I could have spent less but the Adamson S Series PA is a premium product, with a premium sound, and that’s the position I want to fill.”