MENOMONIE, WISCONSIN – When a venue is as architecturally intricate and historically significant as The Mabel Tainter Theater, any technical upgrade must not only perform flawlessly but also must disappear into the renowned aesthetic of the venue. That challenge became the driving force behind a recent loudspeaker installation featuring Eastern Acoustic Works’ (EAW®) AC6 ADAPTive line array, a solution that not only elevated the venue’s sonic capabilities but also blended seamlessly into its ornate 19th‑century interior.
Built in 1889 as a memorial to Mabel Tainter, the beloved daughter of local philanthropist and lumber baron Andrew Tainter, the venue remains one of Wisconsin’s most treasured historic spaces. With hand‑carved woodwork, hand‑painted stenciling, angled surfaces and a uniquely shaped auditorium originally designed for Vaudeville theater, The Mabel Tainter is both visually stunning and acoustically unconventional. Today, it hosts everything from plays and musicals to concerts, weddings and community events, demanding a modern sound system capable of handling diverse programming without compromising the building’s heritage.
The venue’s previous system, a point-source setup installed in 2007, struggled to keep up with the demands of modern productions. “It was difficult to get any meaningful gain before feedback with actor microphones,” says Spencer Berndt, Technical Facilities Manager at The Mabel Tainter. “And balancing the pit with the stage was always a challenge. I could make certain things quieter, but I couldn’t make the actors or pit any louder.”
The stakes went beyond performance. “We’re a very sensitive environment,” explains Berndt. “All the woodworking is hand carved, all the stenciling is hand painted. You can’t replace any of it. So, whatever we installed had to respect that history while giving us the performance we’ve been missing.”
Enter Metro Sound & Video, led on this project by Systems Engineer and Integration Designer Jonathan Harlfinger. Having worked for The Mabel Tainter previously, Harlfinger immediately recognized the AC6 as the right fit. “When I saw these speakers debut at a trade show, I told Spencer, ‘These would be a fantastic fit,’” Harlfinger says. “We’ve used them in large cathedrals and smaller contemporary churches, and they’ve always performed incredibly well. The size, the performance, the flexibility—it all made sense for a space like this.”
But performance was only half the story. The AC6 needed to visually disappear into the venue’s ornate proscenium. That meant custom paint, and not just any paint. Working closely with EAW, the team embarked on a meticulous color-matching process using Rosco’s Metallix paint line. After testing multiple blends, they landed on an 80 percent bronze, 20 percent gold mixture that perfectly matched the surrounding woodwork under the venue’s lighting conditions.
Then came the stenciling. Berndt enlisted local artist Wade Lambrigsten, owner of Vintage Sign Shop, who handles much of the venue’s decorative work, to recreate the building’s historic stencil pattern directly onto the speaker grills. EAW shipped the grills separately so the artwork could be applied before final assembly.
“It was a dance,” Berndt laughs. “But absolutely worth it. In low light, you almost can’t even tell the speakers are there. People who come to shows don’t even notice visually that we installed a new system.” Harlfinger agrees, adding: “A lot of the board members and community members were blown away. They love how it blends in. The customization was a huge part of the success of this project.”
Beyond aesthetics, AC6 has dramatically improved the venue’s sound fidelity and flexibility. “The clarity is just incredible,” says Harlfinger. “People at that first show were impressed by how good the system sounded, especially the piano. It was a night and day difference.”
For Berndt, the upgrade has unlocked entirely new workflow possibilities. “One of the biggest things is that I can finally use area microphones,” he says. “Before, stage sound was such a big issue. Now I can capture more of the space, create a better stereo image and actually mix the pit without worrying about feedback.”
For a venue that has survived more than a century of change, the AC6 installation represents a thoughtful blend of preservation and progress. “This project honored the building while giving us the tools we need for the future,” Harlfinger says. “It’s exactly what The Mabel deserved.”