San Francisco’s Historic Regency Ballroom Improves Sightlines and Stage Sound with West Coast’s First Permanent L Series Concert Sound System Installation San Francisco’s Historic Regency Ballroom Improves Sightlines and Stage Sound wi...
Goldenvoice modernizes opulent venue with compact L-Acoustics L2 concert sound system arrays that eliminate stage noise while preserving architectural beauty
SAN FRANCISCO, California – March 2025 – Anchoring the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Sutter Street in the upscale San Francisco neighborhood of Lower Nob Hill, The Regency Center has long been one of the city’s treasured cultural landmarks. Originally rising from the rubble three years after the historic 1906 earthquake as a Masonic Lodge, the formidable structure is widely heralded as one of the finest examples of Scottish Rite temple architecture in the country, featuring a magnificent blend of Gothic, Neoclassic, and Beaux-Arts styles.
The gravitational center of the building is The Regency Ballroom, a 1,400-capacity performance hall boasting 35-foot ceilings, 22 turn-of-the-century teardrop chandeliers, blonde hardwood floors, a horseshoe-shaped balcony, and built-in stage. Over the decades, the space has served as a movie theater, banquet hall, and dance studio before becoming one of San Francisco’s premier live music venues. Since 2008, it has been operated by renowned promoter Goldenvoice, the regional affiliate of entertainment giant AEG, which recently elevated the room’s sound quality to match its visual splendor via a new L-Acoustics L Series concert sound system.
“The system’s reputation spread like wildfire. Even during peak season, with shows across the city, our PA became the talk of the town. And engineers who’ve mixed on it are unanimous – this rig sets a new standard,” says Regency Ballroom Production Manager Kelly McDowell. “Our first show with the new rig was Blind Guardian, but the first one where we really opened it up and let it rip was the electronic duo Chase & Status. I had never heard The Ballroom sound like that before! It was amazingly clear and powerful. You could feel the energy in the room and people were loving it.”
Two of the biggest ‘wins’ of the new L Series concert sound system have been its ability to eradicate the sightline and onstage noise challenges of the venue’s prior loudspeaker design. “The nice-and-neat, streamlined look of the L2/L2D offers a much better viewing experience,” says McDowell. “That, and excessive volume onstage with our old PA were often an issue. The rear cancelation on this new L Series is really impressive. The Ballroom, with its many reflective surfaces and big open ceiling, can be difficult to mix in. But with the shading capabilities of the P1 processor and amps – combined with L Series’ adjustable Panflex directivity – we were able to really dial it in.”
“Our previous loudspeaker system was a fine rig 15 years ago, but it was really time for an upgrade,” McDowell adds. “It had been installed when Goldenvoice took over the booking and management of the venue, and many of the components of the old PA were truly starting to show their age, and we were doing constant maintenance and replacing of parts.”
In choosing a new system, AEG Presents SVP of Production Jonathan Baden says that the choice of loudspeaker partner was clear from the very start. “L-Acoustics is an industry leader in audio and continually at the top of any artist rider requests for PA systems,” he says. “We had full confidence that working with them would bring the highest quality sound to the venue, both for the artists playing onstage and the fan experience in the room.” After a thorough review and analysis of the room, L Series was determined to be the best fit. “True to L-Acoustics’ reputation for excellence, the system delivers pristine sound while its compact profile preserves sightlines and streamlines installation – saving both time and resources.”
Having L-Acoustics in the venue provides peace-of-mind to artists and engineers alike. “The L-Acoustics signature guarantees performers and engineers exceptional sound that honors the artists’ visions,” Baden explains. “When the sound is perfect, you can feel the energy shift in the room. By investing in the L Series system, we’re demonstrating our commitment to creating experiences that keep audiences coming back.”
Installed by Regency Ballroom’s house audio team in just four days, assisted by Sound Image and the L-Acoustics Application team, the room’s new system comprises a tidy setup of one L-Acoustics L2 flown over one L2D per side, powered by LA7.16i amplified controllers, and complemented by one ground-stacked A10 Wide plus one A10 Focus per side for front-fill. Eight KS28 subs are positioned under the stage, driven by a pair of LA12X, with everything controlled via a P1 processor. A new pair of DiGiCo Quantum225 consoles at the front-of-house and monitor mix positions, each with its own 56-in/32-out SD-Rack, are joined by an XTA MX36 switcher and Lab.Gruppen LMX 48 Lake Processor at FOH.
“Everything is running via P1 and Milan-AVB,” shares Regency Ballroom Head Audio Marco Martin. “After a brief learning period, the platform has been incredibly stable. We’ve all been particularly impressed with the power, clarity, and headroom of the L2 paired with the LA7.16i amplified controller. We could not be happier with the quality and performance of this system.”
For more info on The Regency Ballroom, visit www.theregencyballroom.com. Goldenvoice and AEG can be found online at www.goldenvoice.com and www.aegworldwide.com, while Sound Image and Clair Global can be found at www.sound-image.com and www.clairglobal.com.
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