Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse, located in the Clintonville neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, has a rich history dating back to its opening on February 19, 1938, when it debuted as the Indianola Theatre with a seating capacity of 700. Over the years, the theater underwent several transformations and name changes. In the 1970s, Studio 35 became a pioneer by obtaining a liquor license, where it served beer and food. The theater also became known for hosting special events, such as beer tastings, screenings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and live broadcasts of sporting events.
In 2012, Studio 35 underwent significant renovations, including updates to its interior and the addition of a full bar with 40 draft beers. Throughout its history, Studio 35 says it has maintained its status as an independent, family-owned cinema, currently hosting a variety of programming — blockbuster movies, indie flicks, cult movies, live comedy and other community events.
Studio 35 proclaims it is on a never-ending path to keep improving the movie-going experience. They don’t feel like they’re competing with other movie theaters — they’re competing with people’s choices for a Friday night out. As people’s entertainment tastes evolve, Studio 35 tries to stay in lockstep to remain a preferred entertainment destination. Their latest endeavor is installing a significant (read: brain-melting) audio upgrade in the theater.
Project Details
Studio 35 contacted its longtime technology partner, Brian Vita, sales and service manager at Total Cinema Solutions, for recommendations on audio system upgrades. Vita then included LEA Professional amplifiers as part of the new system design.
Photo courtesy: LEA Professional
“The best definition of an amplifier I’ve heard is that ‘it’s a piece of wire with gain and nothing else,’” says Vita. “And that’s basically what LEA amplifiers perform as. They’re pieces of wire with gain that don’t add any noise to the signal. I mean that as a high compliment.”
The new audio system is built around a state-of-the-art Trinnov Ovation2 cinema processor, greatly enhancing the movie-going experience at Studio 35. According to the company, the unofficial project goal is to “rattle the shingles of the building next door.” JBL 4732 three-way ScreenArray loudspeakers are the mains, supported by two JBL 4642A subwoofers and several JBL 9310 surround loudspeakers.
Vita deployed Connect Series 704 amplifiers to power the theater’s speakers. The IoT-enabled 4-channel 704 provides 700 watts per channel, supports Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z selectable by channel, and features Smart Power Bridge technology. Venue staff can connect to the amplifiers using the built-in Wi-Fi access point, the venue’s Wi-Fi or LAN Ethernet cable.
A Resounding Success
According to LEA Professional, the Connect Series delivers an industry-first professional amplifier family to feature cloud connectivity, a revolutionary advancement and a significant benefit for anyone maintaining the systems. With LEA Cloud, AV teams can remotely control and monitor the amplifiers regardless of the location or time of day, and with no subscription model or hidden costs — it’s completely free to use.
Given the success of the theater upgrades, the owners of Studio 35 Cinema are considering making similar upgrades to other theaters they own.
“The built-in speaker tunings in the LEA amps were great for this application, as was the ability to monitor them remotely,” adds Vita. “That level of control monitoring and the processing in them made the choice of amplifier easy and clear-cut for us.”
