RCF Gear for Rosetta Room, Mesa, Arizona ClubLocated in the heart of downtown Mesa, Arizona, The Rosetta Room has quickly established itself as a vibrant new destination for live music and community events, powered by a professional sound system from RCF. Housed in a historic mid-century building at 104 E. 1st Ave., the 6,300-sq.-ft. venue features a 400-capacity all-ages concert hall designed to host everything from national touring acts and emerging local artists to DJ nights, cultural events and community gatherings across genres including punk, metal, indie, hip-hop, and electronic music. The Rosetta Room was created as a sister venue to Mesa's iconic Nile Theater, expanding the city's cultural landscape while providing a modern, accessible space for performances and events. "At the Nile, we've been part of the downtown Mesa music scene for more than 16 years," says Michelle Donovan, owner and talent buyer for The Rosetta Room and The Nile Theater. "Our basement venue, the Underground, is a hundred-year-old space that people love, but because there is no elevator in the facility, it's not accessible to everyone. We wanted to create something that offered a different experience -- something more polished and welcoming while making sure everyone in the community could have access and be part of the shows we host. So, we found a building two Octobers ago that would house the Rosetta Room, and we just started the build out and we eventually opened in May of 2025." To deliver consistent sound quality across that variety of performances, Donovan tasked front-of-house engineer Jason Hinkle and sound engineer Bryan Greenberg with identifying the right PA for the room. The sale and installation were handled by Sal Davi, principal owner of Phoenix-based Wave Maker Concepts, LLC, a long-time RCF user and sound reinforcement provider. "I reached out to Sal and RCF for us," says Jason Hinkle, who also tours with Portland-based metalcore band Dying Wish. Davi recalls, "I told them there are several PA systems on the market that won't deliver the level of audio quality required for these performances from the bands you are booking in the Rosetta Room -- RCF is the system I recommend." "We discussed several options, but RCF really stood out because it hit that sweet spot where performance and budget aligned," says Hinkle. "Sal brought in a demo system so we could hear what it actually sounded like in the room. He also had some key people from RCF there to answer any questions we might have. After getting a demo of the RCF system, it became clear it was the right system for this room." The venue's ground-stacked PA system features eight RCF HDL 28-A active line array modules (four per side) paired with two RCF SUB 8008-AS dual 18-inch subwoofers (one per side). The system is mixed on a Midas M32 Series digital console, with microphones from Shure and sE Electronics, while lighting throughout the venue is provided by fixtures from SHEHDS. Room geometry was a major factor in the system design. The stage measures just 29' wide, while the room extends close to 100' deep with relatively low ceilings. Because it was an older building, due to structural load limitations associated with the venue, the RCF system was deployed in a ground-stack configuration. "We couldn't fly anything, so it had to be a ground-stack system that could still throw cleanly to the back of the room," Davi explains. "The throw and dispersion of HDL 28s do that really well. Even at the back of the room, you still get great clarity and coverage." Headroom was another priority for a venue hosting high-energy touring acts. "In club environments, sometimes guest touring engineers push systems harder than they should," Hinkle says. "With this system we have plenty of headroom. If you push those HDL 28s past about 60%, you're already in seriously loud territory, so the system is usually just cruising rather than being pushed to its limits." Hinkle also notes that the system's tonal balance makes it especially easy to mix. "The upper mids are really nice in these HDL boxes," he says. "Vocals sit right where they should -- forward and clear without getting harsh. Once the system was installed, Oscar from RCF came out and tuned it, and we haven't had to touch much since. It just works." The results have been immediately noticeable to both audiences and touring crews. "We've had bands that have played our rooms for years come through Rosetta for the first time and say, 'Wow, this is our new favorite spot,'" Donovan adds. "A lot of that comes down to the technology and the quality of the sound. It really has made a difference in how people experience the venue." "I'm a strong advocate for RCF, as I feel their products are best-in-class, competitively priced and backed by exceptional company support," states Davi. "As an interesting side note, after demonstrating the system for Jason, Bryan, Michelle and their team, and ultimately supplying the RCF solution for The Rosetta Room, I was confident enough in its performance to invest in the same system for my own production inventory," he added. "Through my company, we provide production services for the City of Phoenix, and we deployed that RCF rig for a Fourth of July event attended by approximately 20,000 people. Utilizing four HDL 28 modules per side with four SUB 9006 units, the system delivered exceptional coverage and output with complete ease. That experience further reinforced my confidence in RCF's performance, scalability and reliability in both venue and large-scale live event environments. We're continuing to put the system to work, with plans to deploy it at upcoming events around Arizona." For Hinkle, the most telling sign of success is the simplicity of day-to-day operation. "The system just works," he says. "The staff is happy, the bands are happy, and the engineers coming through the room are happy. That says everything you need to know." "Everybody who walks in here can hear the difference," says Hinkle. "When a system sounds great, the whole experience changes -- for the band, the engineers and the audience. And RCF has certainly made that difference." 
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