As Cuba’s oldest brewery, Cerveceria La Tropical dates to the year 1888 when La Tropical founded the Cuban beer industry. The business thrived until the arrival of the Cuban revolution when the company’s assets were seized. Fast forward 50 years, which includes relocation of the founding family to Miami, and Cerveceria La Tropical has a new home— a testament to perseverance, passion, hard work, and the belief that all is possible. Cuba’s oldest brewery is now one of Miami’s youngest, and this vibrant new business has DAS Audio loudspeakers installed throughout the complex.
Sound Investment Audio, a design / build AV integration and live event production firm with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Las Vegas, was contracted to handle the audio system design and installation at Cerveceria La Tropical. Jon Raymond, Sound Investment’s Chicago‐based National Project Manager, is involved in many aspects of the company’s projects. Working in close coordination with the company’s regional project managers, he was responsible for the design, planning and installation of Cerveceria La Tropical’s new sound system, which included loudspeakers drawn from the WR, Artec, and Vantec series catalogs of DAS Audio. He discussed the project, which opened in February 2021.
“Cerveceria La Tropical’s inside areas make up roughly 17,550 square feet and include the brewery and bar in addition to table seating,” Raymond explained. “This inside area is where the beer tasting, and dining take place. The outside area includes a 5,850 square foot courtyard measuring 130 feet by 45 feet, with tables and a stage area located at the far end of the space. The stage faces the length of the area and musical entertainment includes a combination of performing bands and DJs.”
According to Raymond, the Sound Investment team deployed 10 DAS Artec‐308 2‐way passive point source loudspeakers—wall mounted—throughout the inside area. For low frequency support, the installation crew also installed two Vantec‐18 bass reflex passive subwoofers, which are positioned on the floor.
Outside, the stage area is adorned with 8 DAS WR‐320‐DX 2‐way passive line arrays—with the left and right hangs each consisting of four enclosures. Low frequency support is supplied by 4 WR‐218S‐DX weather resistant subwoofers that are positioned underneath the stage. For stage monitoring during performances, there are 4 DAS ACTION M‐12A Active 12‐inch 1000 W stage monitors.
When queried about the various attributes of the DAS Audio loudspeakers they selected for this project, Raymond offered the following thoughts. “When we design a system for a venue such this, our strategy is to provide the best possible value to the client, while maintaining sound quality,” said Raymond, “because without this, you’ll never retain the customers. In this regard, DAS loudspeakers provide the clarity and dispersion characteristics that we specify, so the sound coverage is consistent in as much area as possible. DAS Audio build quality is another important consideration. The company makes rugged, durable equipment and the weatherized WR series enclosures are a great example of that. Equally important, the hardware / flyware for all DAS Audio loudspeakers is terrific—and this makes the installation process considerably easier, and like everything else, time is money.”
On many projects of this size, technical questions arise, so responsive and capable customer / technical support services are crucial. Here, too, Raymond was complimentary of DAS Audio. He said, “The DAS team is passionate about sound and it shows in everything they do.”
Before re‐directing his focus to the business of the day, Raymond offered these parting comments regarding the use of DAS loudspeakers on the Cerveceria La Tropical project, “This project has been a tremendous success. There have been several great reviews in the local publications and the outdoor stage with live music is a big draw. To sum it all up: business is booming and, as a result, management is really happy. We intend to continue our strategy of providing high quality audio and services to Cerveceria and each venue will be better than the last. I believe this project has been a positive experience for all involved—and DAS Audio is a part of this success.”
