AEG Presents, the live music and events division of global entertainment and sports powerhouse AEG Worldwide, expanded its portfolio —comprised of dozens of active tours, more than 30 festivals and nearly 50 venues— with the opening of its flagship space in Nashville, The Pinnacle.
After celebrating a highly successful first year, during which artists ranging from Eric Church to Paul McCartney have taken its stage, The Pinnacle is located in Nashville Yards, a cosmopolitan 19-acre mixed-use urban development.
With a capacity of 4,500, the venue is a premier space for hosting a wide range of concerts, from solo acoustic performances to bluegrass, country, rock and EDM, as well as spoken-word events, award ceremonies, showcases and private events.
Acoustics and architecture specialists Design Technik were tasked with ensuring that the interaction with the room did not compromise the sublime sonic potential of the powerful and flexible L-Acoustics professional sound system installed at The Pinnacle.
Cameron Marcotte, Vice President of Real Estate Development at AEG, oversees the design and construction of all AEG Presents projects.
In the case of The Pinnacle, I was involved throughout the entire process, from the initial site selection to the final handover to operators. Along the way, I am responsible for selecting vendor partners —such as Design Technik for acoustics— and ensuring that the project’s functional objectives are met, she explains.
The choice of audio provider was an obvious one, says Marcotte: “L-Acoustics is a premium creator of professional sound technology and a fantastic company to work with. They are also our neighbors in Nashville Yards”. Alongside The Pinnacle, AEG built a 10-story office building, where AEG Presents shares the fourth floor with L-Acoustics’ new operations and creative hub for the Americas.
Design Technik, which is rapidly establishing itself as a recognized innovator after nearly twenty years of building a strong client base while refining its approach and solutions, was one of only a few companies considered. “In each market, we focus on a single venue”, explains Marcotte, highlighting their tailored approach. “We prefer working with smaller, more agile companies. We’re looking for a partner that can grow with us, as we’re expanding very quickly. Design Technik combines deep knowledge and experience with that agility, and has also worked on large-scale projects”.
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An added value for AEG was Design Technik’s local presence and its philosophy that clients should understand both the steps and techniques applied, as well as their scientific basis. “It’s a different level compared to standard off-the-shelf solutions”, says Marcotte. “Both audiences and artists agree: ‘This sounds fantastic’”.
Design Technik also collaborated on L-Acoustics’ demo and training space at Rock Lititz, as well as the new regional headquarters for the Americas in Nashville. L-Acoustics’ sound design philosophy, according to BJ Shaver, Director of Sales, is “to provide a blank canvas that allows the engineer to translate the artistry of the performance. The room should be the support or the easel for the artwork”.
Leading the realization of that “blank acoustic canvas” was Kevin Lee Hughes, CEO and founder of Design Technik, with 34 years of experience.
This type of venue is designed for modern music with amplified sound, potentially very loud —we measured peaks of 123 dB at 40–50 Hz during an EDM show. It can host everything from intimate events to very powerful ones, he explains.
Although bass traps were installed under the stage, Hughes explains that their current technologies allow the full frequency spectrum to be tuned using the entire wall surface. “We also left some areas strategically more ‘live’ to create a natural and comfortable feeling for the audience, balancing sound and space”, he adds. “Our technologies turn walls into an integrated acoustic solution: we analyze every surface to meet our goals without compromising aesthetics”.
On stage, Design Technik’s proprietary system wraps the structure to control volume and absorb sound energy coming from the rear of the PA system. This results in a clear and coherent sound for the audience.
In the room, the goal was for the full frequency range to propagate naturally and effortlessly, Hughes explains. To achieve this, unwanted low-frequency reflections from rear and side walls were avoided, ensuring a consistent experience. “As a result, every seat offers a very similar perception: what the engineer hears is essentially the same as what the audience hears”.
Luke Lasater, senior design engineer at Design Technik, explains that controlling problematic frequencies requires covering large surfaces by integrating the acoustic system directly into the building structure. In this way, the acoustic treatment also becomes a visible finish, blending with the interior design.
Marcotte describes the final result as “a very clean installation: practically invisible. Exactly what we were looking for. It looks great and sounds even better”.
This is AEG’s flagship venue. Feedback from artists and engineers has been overwhelmingly positive, both in terms of audio clarity and the comfort of the space. It’s the gem of Nashville, concludes Lauren Laramee, the venue’s production manager.
