In 2017, when Mark Chinapen, President of Los-Angeles-based live-events production company Big Time Affairs, decided it was time to expand his loudspeaker inventory, he spent more than 12 months evaluating his options and debating whether he should switch manufacturers.
After hearing the VUE al-class line array system in mid-2017, he bought into the then-upstart VUE brand with a moderate-size al-class line array system based solely on the gear’s sonic performance. After 18 months of gigs ranging from Coachella to World of Dance, Chinapen recently doubled down on his VUE investment with the purchase of an extensive al-Class system, including al-12 acoustic linearity line arrays and the hs-221 ACM subwoofers. While he is now even more convinced in the brand’s sonic performance, he attributes his decision to invest further to VUE’s responsiveness and 24/7 support.
“There’s no question that VUE delivers attention-getting performances day in and day out,” explained Chinapen. “We’ve put it through sand storms, floods, and the typical road wear and it hasn’t missed a beat. But what really sets VUE apart in my mind is their appreciation for the needs of their clients and their round-the-clock support. Their family-like approach is critical, and I know that I can pick up the phone anytime and reach Ken or Sara in the same way as I’m available to my clients. Knowing they’re as personally as invested in the business as I am, and that we are working together to grow our businesses, is what sets VUE apart from every other brand out there.”
Chinapen also sees his VUE investment as the key to expanding from corporate and special events into the burgeoning festival market. “Our goal is to have one of the largest VUE inventories in the Los Angeles market and become the go-to provider for festival production.”
From the looks of it, Big Time is already making inroads. They deployed their al-class system at The World of Dance Competition and Coachella Events in 2018 and received rave reviews from engineers, and even Snoop Dog himself. Most recently, they also deployed the system at a number of Grammy “Friends and Family” events leading up to the March Awards show that enabled them to showcase the system to nominees’ followers, along with up-and-coming acts who performed at each. According to Chinapen, the response was phenomenal.
“We got exposure to a dozen or so sound engineers from these emerging acts and every single one of them were blown away by the headroom and clarity of the VUE system. I can’t’ tell you how many times I heard ‘Wow, this sounds incredible when we get the solo acts we want to talk about getting a VUE rig out on tour.’”
With several large-scale national gigs in the works, thanks to VUE’s performance and worldwide profile, Chinapen sees nothing but growth ahead of him. “You can’t find this level of sound quality, consistency, dependability and 24/7 support from any other brand out there. I tell everyone that VUE is the best thing that ever happened to our business, and we’ve only just got started!
