Texas A&M University Powers Thousands of Campus Events Using LEA Professional Amplifiers

	"We're deploying them on a near-daily basis during the busy months," says Klinger.

Rather than relying solely on installed sound systems, Texas A&M's University Center & Special Events team deploys portable audio racks throughout campus, often moving equipment from one event directly to the next. To meet those demands, the team relies on LEA Professional amplifiers.

"We're deploying them on a near-daily basis during the busy months," says Corey Klinger, event technician at Texas A&M. "As soon as one event ends, the equipment is being shipped to the next one. There are times when some of our amps don't come back home for more than a week because they're constantly moving from event to event."

The portable systems support virtually every type of campus gathering imaginable, from intimate ribbon-cutting ceremonies with a podium and two loudspeakers to banquets and galas serving more than 900 attendees. By using LEA's onboard DSP rather than external processors, the university keeps each portable rack simple, compact, and ready for immediate deployment.

Connect Series 354 amplifiers are the team's go-to solution for most events, easily scaling from small presentations to powering six JBL VRX loudspeakers for large banquet spaces. When additional low-frequency reinforcement is required, Connect Series 702 amplifiers provide dedicated power for subwoofers using onboard DSP presets.

The IoT-enabled 4-channel CS354 delivers 350W per channel, while the two-channel CS702 delivers 700W per channel. They support both Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z, selectable by channel, eliminating the need for separate amplifiers to handle different speaker impedances, while streamlining installations and reducing equipment costs. The Connect Series also includes 96kHz DSP as a standard feature.

The Connect Series features cloud connectivity. With LEA Cloud, AV teams can remotely control and monitor amplifiers from anywhere, at any time, free to use, the company says.

Since first adopting LEA Professional amplifiers in 2021, Texas A&M has placed the systems under demanding real-world conditions. The amplifiers are transported across campus, loaded into vehicles, assembled at venues, and frequently operate outdoors. Despite that rigorous schedule, reliability has remained exceptional.

"In the five years we've used them, I think we've only had one instance where an amp acted a little strange," Klinger says "LEA helped us troubleshoot it, and we haven't had a problem since."

Reducing rack weight has been one of LEA Professional's biggest advantages. Compared to the university's previous amplifier inventory, Connect Series amplifiers dramatically reduced both weight and physical effort required during setup.

"The first thing that stood out was how light they were compared to the older amplifiers," said Benjamin Leonido, event manager at Texas A&M. "The old racks often required two or three people to move. Now a single person can roll a rack into place without worrying about injuries or finding enough people to help."

"The LEA amps have been going strong for us ever since we got them," says Klinger. "They've proven themselves every step of the way."