Nevada City, CA (March 11, 2026)—Theaters are meant for showing things, but the Nevada Theatre in Nevada City, Calif. has seen a few things too. Opened in 1865, it’s the oldest existing theater building in California, and still presents a lively schedule of films, concerts, theater productions and more, averaging more than 240 performances a year. Until recently, the house audio system, while not 160 years old like the venue itself, was getting on in years, too.
Jack Burke, a member of the venue’s Board of Directors and a veteran front-of-house engineer from the Seattle Opera House, led the update. “The system was much older,” recounted Burke. “It was really inadequate for what the theatre needed. Oftentimes you couldn’t make out the words from the performers.”
The theatre’s board eventually upgraded to the 64-channel Allen & Heath Avantis digital mixer, outfitted with a dPack processing package, which gives engineers access to advanced processing and compressor models. The desk provides the processing power needed to run entire shows, including monitor mixes, from a single front-of-house position, aided by the dPack upgrade which provides emulations of classic compressors and reverbs. “The engineers have their choice,” said Burke. “They are not limited to the standard processing in the board.”
• Allen & Heath, Audio-Technica Team for Mic, Wireless Control Features
The Avantis also fit the facility’s needs in part because of its small size—the venue rarely needs to use more than 32 inputs—and it can be moved to the balcony if needed. “By using digital DX168 stage boxes, the crew no longer has to haul heavy analog snakes,” notes Burke. “You just run a cat cable, and you’re off and flying.”
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The impact on the audience and performers was felt the moment the system went live. “Since we’ve put in the new system,” said Burke. “They just rave about it.” The clarity provided by the Avantis ensures every patron has a premium experience. “I could hear every word,” said Burke, “and it sounds the same in every seat in the house. There’s just no downside.”