"Noise Complaint" Makes Waves: dBTechnologies Delivers a Two-Deck Sound Experience at Sea When a passenger vessel moored at 1800 N Harbor Dr in San Diego became the weekend venue for a floating party with a pun-forward name -- "Noise Complaint" -- the sound wasn't just thunderous, it was carefully engineered, making its own waves. With an audience capacity of 1,200 and a layout combining open-air energy up top with a more intimate environment below, the production team leaned on dBTechnologies to ensure consistent sound reinforcement across both decks of the ship. The event fully utilized the vessel's two-deck configuration, with crowds moving between an exposed upper deck and an enclosed middle deck. The upper deck served as the primary performance space, deploying Opera REEVO 212 loudspeakers as mains, supported by Opera REEVO 210 out-fills and VIO S118R subwoofers, with additional Opera REEVO 210 cabinets on poles as DJ monitors. The middle deck featured DVX D12 loudspeakers paired with a single S618 subwoofer, maintaining clarity and balanced low-frequency presence within the more reflective interior structure. "Despite limited power availability aboard the vessel's outdoor deck, the REEVOs delivered impressive performance under such constraining parameters -- cutting through the entire sea of people, never drowned out by the party," says Don Brennan, owner of SDEP. This deployment highlighted the latest evolution in dBTechnologies' active loudspeaker lineup. Opera REEVO introduces a quasi-three-way configuration with Class-D DIGIPRO G2 amplification and linear-phase FIR filtering for precision imaging. A coaxial acoustic design aligns the compression driver with the upper woofer for seamless mid-to-high integration, while a diamond-cut front horn reduces comb-filtering artifacts and improves efficiency. Internal phase-plug engineering sharpens transient response, and honeycomb-structured front ports reduce airflow turbulence at high SPL. The result is a loudspeaker able to translate complex, mid-rich material with articulation and depth, the company says, particularly valuable in an open-air environment like the upper deck of this vessel. EASE Focus was used for modeling and predictive coverage planning, ahead of load-in. Once onboard, measurement-based optimization ensured the system adapted to environmental shifts, crowd movement, and restrictive power infrastructure. A Yamaha LS9 at FOH supported flexible control throughout the event. System technician and front-of-house engineer Eric Hester notes that having previously deployed a system on this same vessel, the team was able to approach the challenges proactively: "Power constraints and vessel acoustics always keep us thinking ahead. Yet the Opera REEVOs stayed responsive and clean whether guests were crowding the rails outside or filling the indoor space below. The experience stayed seamless from deck to deck." 
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