Spanish Ballroom

Location: Tacoma, Oregon
Venue Type:
A former Elks Lodge built in 1915 in the second Renaissance Revival style
Services Provided:

- Sound Design and Installation: BOSE Pro ShowMatch DeltaQ Line Array - RMU208 Utility Series stage lip fills - SMS118 ShowMatch PowerMatch PM8500N amplifiers

- 2x MIDAS Pro 2 FOH/Monitor Console

- Dante enabled sound processor Control Space

The Challenge

The Spanish Ballroom is one of the crown jewels of the Pacific Northwest. Owned by the historic McMenamins empire, this downtown Tacoma venue sits inside a century-old building that had been gut renovated to preserve its character. When we first walked through the space, the condition was severe, with holes in the ceiling and active water damage meant no AV work could begin until the structure itself was stabilized.

Helping To Rebuild A Venue

Our goal was to design and execute a complete, from the ground up, audio production and installation that met the exacting standards of a high-end real estate client while respecting the historic preservation requirements and codes for this building. We needed a setup that could handle live events, event rentals, in a room with significant architectural constraints.

The Design & Planning Phase

Managing Constraints is Our Specialty.
A year-long gut renovation before we even touched the rigging required meticulous planning. We designed our audio topology around "Tops and Bottoms" configuration (ceiling and floor monitors) to ensure full-coverage sound in a space where ceiling height was compromised by structural repairs.

We worked closely with McMenamins leadership to manage expectations, ensuring that modern audio technology fit seamlessly into the historic aesthetic of the venue.

Installation & Tuning

Dual Consoles for Total Control.
For Front of House and Monitor mixing, we deployed dual Midas Pro 2 consoles. This setup provided redundancy and precision control, allowing the engineering team to balance complex signals in a room with unique acoustic challenges caused by its historic architecture.

We focused on every aspect of signal integrity:

Rigorous System Tuning: Ensuring even frequency response across ceiling and floor monitors despite structural irregularities.
Durability & Reliability: Building a system and cable runs that withstand the constant use of a premier concert and event space.

The Partnership

A Long-Standing Relationship.
McMenamins is a long term ToneProper partner and active rental customer of ToneProper.Rent. This project isn't just an installation. It represents the trust we've built over time. They rely on us not only for their initial "ground-up" system design but also for ongoing gear rentals, support, and technical maintenance that keep their events running smoothly.

Why Choose ToneProper?

This project at the Spanish Ballroom demonstrates why venues in Tacoma and beyond choose us:

We Plan Around Problems: Whether it's water damage or historic preservation codes, we design solutions first, not workarounds.
We Tune Until It’s Right: ToneProper engineers treat every install as a continuous tuning session until the sound is perfect for the room.
We Are Your Partners, Not Just A Vendor: From rental gear to full AV system installation, our team is there for you as you grow and your needs evolve.
Ready to upgrade your venue? Let’s talk about your space.