Hughie’s Event Production Services, a premiere source of quality event production service and professional industry equipment in the Ohio and Western Pennsylvania region, recently replaced some of its older AV rental equipment with new, cutting-edge technology capable of delivering world class sound. The company found the solution it was looking for with EAW’s ADAPTive line including the Anna Loudspeaker and Otto Subwoofer. In addition to the ADAPTive line, Hughie’s also relies on EAW’s RS123 Self-Powered Loudspeakers for a range of projects.
From its inception in 1953, Hughie’s Event Production Services has always placed the highest value on quality of service. The Hughie’s team embarked on an 18-month search to find its new PA system. “We’ve known that EAW has made quality products for a very long time and that’s one of the main reasons they were on our radar during our upgrade search,” said Project Manager Jim O’Connor, Hughie’s. “When we heard about EAW’s ADAPTive line, we were very intrigued. It was clearly a system that we had to take a better look at.”
Upon, hearing the system, the Hughie’s team knew that EAW was the right fit for them and their clients. “We knew EAW’s ADAPTive system was the right call from the minute we heard it. The sound and the sheer versatility of the different types of events that we could do with it was very appealing,” added Jim. “With our new EAW ADAPTives, we can take a few cabinets for small, ballroom type applications, or we could take many of the same cabinets and do our large outdoor events like graduations, church functions or political gatherings, which are becoming the standard in today’s social distancing environment. The scalability really blew us away.”
In all, Hughie’s purchased 24 Anna 3-way full-range array modules, 12 Otto subwoofers and 40 RS123 2-way self-powered loudspeakers. The steerable technology of the ADAPTive line allows for Hughie’s to make adjustments and change parameters on the fly, which is really beneficial for the team.
“I often use the Ottos as end fire arrays, which is a non-traditional way to stack the subs,” adds Jim. “Instead of them being in a horizontal line, you set them up in a vertical line pointing towards the audience. This allows you to direct all the energy from the subwoofers directly at the audience instead of a typical omni-directional subwoofer set-up. The EAW’s don’t skip a beat, regardless of how they are set up. It’s this adaptability that makes them best-in-class”
Another benefit of using EAW products is their ease of set-up and the need for less overall equipment. “With EAW, we can go in and use half the amount of equipment to cover the same area that we have used in the past,” said Jim. “This cuts down our operating costs because the setup time is significantly decreased. It helps us get in and out a lot quicker. You can’t really do that with other systems and there is just no comparison.”
Hughie’s continues to support events in the region including an influx in outdoor events. Hughie’s recently deployed an EAW system for The FEST, an annual outdoor Catholic event with a live mass, music and a range of activities. Hughie’s has been involved for several years and while onsite attendance was significantly reduced this year, the smaller-scale onsite event was complemented with a live stream. The EAW system was also deployed at a range of outdoor commencements including St. Ignatius and St. Edward High Schools.
The team at Hughie’s is also impressed with the customer service and support they have received from EAW. “Paul Lamarre, Jim Newhouse, and TJ Smith are really great to work with,” says Hughie’s President David Wheeler. “EAW is not only amazing on the product side but also on the administrative side. We are really appreciative to be doing business with such a fantastic company. Our new PA system sounds amazing.”
