The Meyer Sound ULTRA-X80 is one of the best point source speakers on the market today. It’s incredibly accurate but still voiced extremely well; highly musical and very mix-friendly. The acoustic crossover of the speaker lends itself to working very well with the 900-LFC. It’s an absolute dream to work with—basically, turn it on and start creating.”
Jamie HowiesonSystem Designer,
Jackson-Triggs Amphitheatre
Since 2001, the Jackson-Triggs Amphitheatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, has showcased Canada’s most celebrated artists in an elevated vineyard concert setting. Today the 575-seat open-air venue, part of the Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate, continues that legacy as the first in Canada to feature Meyer Sound’s ULTRA‑X80 versatile point source loudspeakers.
For more than two decades, the Jackson-Triggs Amphitheatre has built a reputation for intimate performances paired with premium sound, and installed its first Meyer Sound system in the early 2010s. Rob Richardson, president of Marquis Entertainment and longtime producer of the Jackson-Triggs concert series, says that this year’s upgrade was driven by both audience expectations and the changing landscape of the surrounding community. “We needed to figure out a way to give our audience the experience they expect, or even surpass it, while also keeping our decibel levels within reason for our neighbors,” he says. “This system really achieves that balance.”
The new system comprises eight ULTRA-X80 loudspeakers and six 900‑LFC compact low-frequency control elements, plus ten ULTRA‑X20 compact point source loudspeakers as front fills, with a Galileo GALAXY 816 network platform handling system control. The rental system was designed by Jackson-Triggs Audio Engineer Jamie Howieson, with equipment supplied by Solotech’s Live Productions team with support from Meyer Sound’s Canadian distributor, GerrAudio.
“The Meyer Sound ULTRA-X80 is one of the best point source speakers on the market today,” says Howieson. “It’s incredibly accurate but still voiced extremely well; highly musical and very mix-friendly. The acoustic crossover of the speaker lends itself to working very well with the 900-LFC. It’s an absolute dream to work with—basically, turn it on and start creating.”
Production Manager and Series Sound Engineer Tim Murray notes that the ULTRA-X80 offers a level of performance that touring productions immediately recognize. “When artists see Meyer Sound on the rider, they know they’ll be represented properly,” he says. “Then they hear it and they’re blown away. It’s very rare to sit behind a console in a venue and feel like you’re in a studio. Here, you just turn it on, listen, and go.”
In recent years, residential development near the amphitheatre introduced new environmental challenges. “With the help of our designer, Jamie Howieson, we tackled mitigation from multiple directions,” says Murray. “The system delivers a great audience experience, but the way the ULTRA-X80s and 900-LFCs control energy also helps reduce spill into the neighborhood.”
The ground-stacked ULTRA-X80s and 900-LFCs are housed in custom-built enclosures that absorb targeted frequencies and reduce low-frequency transmission to the rear of the venue. Additional acoustic panels were installed along the back wall of the stage and flown above to help contain onstage volume, further minimizing the impact on nearby residences.
The Jackson-Triggs Amphitheatre has hosted a who’s-who of Canadian music, including Gordon Lightfoot, Sarah McLachlan, and The Tragically Hip. Richardson believes the venue’s commitment to exceptional sound is central to its success. “When I read reviews, the first two things that come up are that this is an intimate experience, and that it’s known for fantastic sound,” he says. “That’s what differentiates us.
“I have been the producer and the programmer of the Jackson-Triggs Amphitheatre since 2001, and I’ve seen several different iterations of our sound system,” he adds. “What we have this year is without a doubt the best sound experience we’ve ever had at the amphitheatre.”