AVANTE Audio’s Imperio Pro Delivers Powerful Yet Unobtrusive Sound for Splash of Culture Event in Canada
Last fall, AVANTE Audio’s Imperio Pro ‘mini’ line array system delivered clear, powerful sound for the Splash of Culture event in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Staged at the striking Mercedes-Benz Newmarket Water Feature, the free community event combined art, illuminated fountains and live music to create a vibrant evening under the stars for hundreds of attendees.
Local production company EJSE AV transformed the venue into a unique outdoor performance space by constructing a stage directly over the water. With the fountains and surrounding trees illuminated to create a colorful backdrop, the setting provided an atmospheric stage for an eclectic evening of musical performances. The lineup included instrumental piano from Patrick Fockler, followed by sets from powerhouse vocalist Quisha Wint as well as Daniel Panetta and The Midnight Company, who closed the evening with an energetic, Motown-inspired performance.
Responsible for planning and managing the event’s production was Ryan McLeod, Account Manager at EJSE AV. The company has been using AVANTE Audio’s compact yet powerful Imperio Pro modular ‘mini’ line array system for several years, having made its first investment in September 2024 through Canadian distributor SFM.
For Splash of Culture, the EJSE AV team deployed a straightforward but highly effective PA configuration. Two hangs of four Imperio Pro (IMP205) array elements were positioned on either side of the stage, each pole-mounted above a stacked pair of Imperio Pro IMP118 active subwoofers. Despite its compact size, the system delivered more than enough coverage for the audience, which numbered between 500 and 600 people at any given time, with approximately 1,500 attendees passing through the event over the course of the evening.
“Our partners, Elliot Kravetz and Terry Holdershaw, discovered the Imperio Pro line at a NAMM demo in 2024, and recognized its benefits immediately", explains Ryan. "It's been something of a secret weapon for us ever since. For Splash of Culture, we initially planned to have a front fill at the lip of the stage, but didn’t end up needing it because the system has such wide coverage. That’s really why we love Imperio Pro: it’s easy to deploy and get great results with minimal effort.”
Designed for portability and fast setup, the Imperio Pro IMP205 array module measures just 12.8 inches tall but delivers impressive output thanks to a pair of 5-inch neodymium low-mid transducers combined with six 1.75-inch IDVAT (Inverted Dome Vertical Array Technology) high-frequency drivers. Powered by an internal Class-D amplifier rated at 440W RMS (1700W peak) and supported by advanced 32-bit DSP processing, each module is capable of delivering a maximum output of 128dB while maintaining excellent clarity and a wide 100° horizontal dispersion.
The system’s low-frequency foundation came from the IMP118 active subwoofers, each featuring a high-power 18-inch driver with a 4-inch voice coil powered by a 2400W RMS Class-D amplifier. Built-in DSP allows customizable crossover frequencies and selectable coverage patterns — including omni, cardioid and end-fire configurations — enabling the system to be optimized for a wide variety of applications.
“We went from classical piano music at the beginning of the evening to Mustang Sally at the end of the night, and the Imperio Pro did a great job throughout,” enthuses Ryan. “The system gave us even more headroom than we expected, with wide and even coverage. However, the true magic was the ease of deployment. The Imperio Pro system is nicely straightforward, where anyone with minimal training should achieve good results. It’s also very versatile, while this project was outdoors, the system also works very well for indoor events. The audio quality is fantastic – you can stand right in front of the thing and it’s still a comfortable listen.”
Beyond its sonic performance, the system’s small physical footprint also made it well suited to the visually striking venue, allowing the sound system to blend into the environment without distracting from the stage or lighting design.
“Because it’s so small, physically, it’s wonderfully unobtrusive; many people don’t even realize it’s a speaker,” elaborates Kamil Pawlowski, Senior Audio Engineer at EJSE AV and Audio Lead for Splash of Culture. “It’s also very easy to work with – for this event we were not able to fly but still achieved great results from the ground, and it scales easily. The whole thing – per side – ran from a single 20-amp power supply, so it’s really not power hungry considering its output.”
The modular nature of the Imperio Pro system allowed EJSE AV to deploy the perfect configuration for this specific application while ensuring a fast and efficient setup. It delivered consistent coverage and tonal balance throughout the audience area, ensuring everyone in attendance could fully appreciate the musical performances.
“Overall, we have been incredibly impressed by the Imperio Pro line as a coherent system,” concludes Ryan. “The components truly work together as a set – with the presets making it easy to effectively deploy different combinations of the main elements and subs for varied applications. As long as you follow the drawings on the back of the box, you're going to get great results! And finally, I’d like to say that the support we’ve received through SFM – and direct from AVANTE Audio – really has been top notch.”
With its combination of portability, flexibility and powerful performance, AVANTE Audio’s Imperio Pro system proved to be the perfect solution for Splash of Culture — delivering professional, high-quality sound while allowing the focus to remain firmly on the music, the performers and the spectacular waterfront setting.
Event
Splash of Culture
Venue
Mercedes-Benz Newmarket Water Feature
Newmarket’s Riverwalk Commons, 200 Doug Duncan Drive, Ontario, Canada
Production Company
EJSE AV
www.ejse-av.com
Production Manager
Ryan McLeod
Audio Engineer
Kamil Pawlowski
PA System
8 x Imperio Pro IMP205
4 x Imperio Pro IMP118
