Studio Instrument Rentals (SIR) has overhauled one of its rehearsal studios with the help of Powersoft’s X Series.

The US-based musical instrument and equipment company, which provides rehearsal studio rentals in cities across the United States, recently completed an upgrade of its Nashville studio with a number of X8 amplifiers.

SIR co-founding partner Michael Johnson said that while SIR has been using Powersoft amplifiers for event sound for years, this is the first time they have utilised Powersoft in their own rehearsal rooms. “We wanted to create an environment that was closer to a touring rig in terms of sound quality,” he said. “That meant better monitors, digital boards, and high quality amplification.”

Production coordinator John Whitehead brought the rehearsal room upgrade together, which involved replacing the ageing power amplifiers as well as the mixing boards and monitor wedges.

“We had already decided on the EAW MW15 monitor wedges, and Paul Hugo from Marshank Group recommended the Powersoft X series to drive them," Whitehead said. “We saw the specs on the Powersoft X8 and couldn’t believe we were looking at a two-rack-space amp that’s got eight channels delivering 1,600 watts into eight ohms.”

With each of SIR Nashville’s five rehearsal rooms outfitted with between five and seven of the MW15 monitor wedges, Whitehead and his team decided to purchase one X8 amplifier for each room, plus a sixth unit as a backup. They also upgraded the power provided to each amp to three-phase 220V to make sure they were operating at optimal power and efficiency. The system was rounded out with Midas digital mixing boards in each room.

“The wedges get plenty of power from the X8 and that really allows them to open up,” Whitehead noted. “The clarity is amazing. Every client has said this is a huge upgrade.”

Johnson and Whitehead believe Powersoft was a great choice for SIR Nashville: “It’s the most power available for its size, so we can save as much room as possible for bands and their gear,” Whitehead said. “The amplifiers have been workhorses, operating seamlessly amidst daily use.”

SIR Nashville’s rehearsal rooms play host to a wide range of musicians, from local up-and-comers to nationally recognisable names.

http://www.powersoft-audio.com/

http://www.sir-usa.com/