Livewire Fields New P.A. in Fargo

Fargo, ND (April 8, 2025)—Livewire Entertainment Media Services tackles more than 720 nationwide conferences, corporate productions, and theatrical and musical performances in a given year, variously providing audio, video, lighting and staging for events ranging from the recent inauguration of North Dakota governor Kelly Armstrong to the annual TEDxFargo. For both those events, the production provider fielded a recently acquired dBTechnologies VIO system.

Livewire’s assistant director of Live Audio Services Jonas Biles explained, “What initially drew us to dBTechnologies was an industry contact who excitedly shared his positive experiences with their solutions, emphasizing their adaptability to different types of events, the ease of configuring various box setups, and the convenience of using Aurora Net software to monitor and control the system. After more research, everything just fell into place.”

Obtained through manufacturer rep Iconic Solutions Group, Livewire’s new system includes 20 VIO L1610 medium-format line array systems, 16 VIO S218 subwoofers, a half-dozen VIO S118 subwoofers, 16 VIO L208 small-format line array elements, various front fills and accessories.

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One of the biggest challenges the new system has faced so far was TEDxFargo, held inside the Fargo Civic Center, a 1950s concrete and plaster basketball arena. Livewire brought out eight VIO L208 modules and four S218 subs to cover 2,500-plus attendees with success.

“This setup was easier than previous ones,” said Biles. “I managed all boxes with just four outputs using RDNet Control 8 and two AC26Ns. I could shade each speaker, monitor input and output levels in real time, and independently control sends to the concourse fill speakers—all without needing extra outputs or matrices, which was extremely convenient. It was also much easier to push the PA harder this year, with no risk of feedback and plenty of headroom. Last year, I often struggled to raise SPL above the loud crowd to get their attention. This year, the energy and immersive quality of the event was felt throughout the venue. Many staff members also commented on how clear the sound was—it was their first time hearing the new rig.”

Kent Kolstad, founder of Livewire, added, “We were thrilled to see how well the system performed in such an acoustically difficult space. The VIO series allowed us to implement a clean and effective sound solution. The system absolutely blew attendee expectations out of the water with even volume and presenter clarity throughout, bringing the TEDxFargo experience to life.”