CHICO, California – March 2026 – Some of the boldest ideas in music happen far from the obvious places. The Breakbeat, which recently opened in downtown Chico, California, is proof. The venue occupies a compact former sunglasses store that its founder, Azariah “Z” Reynolds, has transformed into a multipurpose arts and performance space built around the latest in spatial audio technology, designed to be as immersive for a folk duo as it is for a DJ set.
Reynolds had a specific vision when he first assessed the space. “I really liked the sightlines of the space, the ceiling height, and the general feel of it, so I came up with a basic concept for how I wanted the room to flow. I wanted a performance space, a visual-art space, and a sound-listening room,” he says. The name he chose for the venue was equally deliberate. “We chose that name because it signifies beginnings. The breakbeat was the first sample drum beat, and it led into the hip-hop and electronic-drum sampling era.”
To realize that vision, Z turned to Denver-based Brown Note Productions, an L-Acoustics Certified Provider with deep experience in complex audio installations. What they built together is a venue that punches far above its physical footprint.
The First L-Acoustics DJ Installation in the Americas
At the heart of The Breakbeat is L-Acoustics DJ, the industry’s first complete system for transforming traditional stereo DJ setups into fully immersive spatial audio experiences, and one that only began shipping to customers in early 2026. Using proprietary Source Separate technology, the system applies low-latency machine learning to split stereo tracks into discrete stems in real time, allowing DJs to position and move those elements through the physical space as they perform. Critically, it does all of this without interfering in a DJ’s existing workflow.
The Breakbeat is the first venue in the United States to install L-Acoustics DJ. Brown Note Productions Account Manager Matt Bauer worked closely with the L-Acoustics Applications team to integrate the spatial system, combining an L-Acoustics DJ hardware controller and iPad app with an L-ISA Processor II, into a full 12.1.4 surround configuration. “I heard L-Acoustics DJ for the first time last summer and knew it was going to be a hit,” says Bauer. “But as far as putting these new technologies and products all together and customizing them for the space, we partnered with the L-Acoustics Application team and worked to develop a perfect-fit solution. The end result was better than anyone expected!”
The speaker configuration was purpose-built for the room: an overhead ring of 12 L-Acoustics X8i loudspeakers serves as surrounds, with four X6i above the audience area as overheads. Three Syva Sub in a horizontal array behind the stage anchor the low end, powered by a combination of LA7.16i amplified controllers for the surrounds and subwoofers and LA2Xi for the overheads. The system is driven by BNP-supplied Pioneer DJ decks and mixer, meaning any visiting DJ steps in and is immediately playing on it.
Immersive Sound for Every Artist—Not Just DJs
What makes The Breakbeat’s technology investment particularly significant is that it extends well beyond DJ performances. Alongside L-Acoustics DJ, the venue runs a full L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound system, meaning non-DJ artists also perform in immersive. Z’s goal from the start was a venue that could credibly host any kind of artist, and the system has already been tested across formats.
“You could see that each of these different types of performances delivered the same kind of impact,” says Z. The venue’s early programming has included a folk and Americana pairing of Willy Tea Taylor and The Sam Chase, whose set Z describes as sounding “very awesome and full” in immersive surround, followed the next night by Reno-based DJ duo Fox & Buck with Modelody. The reaction, in both cases, was the same: audiences reaching for reference points that weren’t there. “I think people come in with their brains wrapped around what it’s like to hear a stereo image, and to watch an artist perform with the sound traveling towards them from the stage. But The Breakbeat gives a fully immersive feeling of you being inside the sound. Watching people adjust to that’s pretty interesting.”
The Breakbeat’s 12.1.4 configuration allows stems to travel independently around the room, something a standard left-right system can’t do. “It creates this visual spectrum to where no matter which way you turn, no matter which way you’re facing, you get a perfect sound image,” says Z. “I had people asking us during our last show if we had speakers under the floor or if we were using any type of vibrational effects, but it was just purely the impact of the Syva Sub in a line behind the stage.”
Reaching Out to Artists: The Invitation to Explore
A venue built around technology this new carries the implicit responsibility of bringing artists along. Z and the team at The Breakbeat have approached this as an active part of the venue’s identity. For DJs playing the space for the first time, the learning curve is, by design, kept shallow. L-Acoustics DJ was built to require no prior technical expertise, but the creative possibilities run deep.
“The technology is new to the DJs that we’ve had in, but once they got a feel for using the system, it was pretty easy for them to pick out points in their songs that would work really well for each effect and be able to use those confidently,” says Z. “It’s always really cool to watch the looks on the faces of DJs when they use it for the first time, because once they start wrapping that sound and using some of the cross effects, it can be pretty stark and surprising right away.”
That reaction is exactly what the venue is designed to produce, for artists and audiences alike. Bauer puts it plainly: “I don’t think that there’s another space like The Breakbeat. Everything is working together to make it both practical and magical.”
For more information on The Breakbeat, visit www.thebreakbeatchico.com. Brown Note Productions can be found online at www.brownnote.com.
Please visit L-Acoustics at www.l-acoustics.com.
About L-Acoustics
Since 1984, we have been continuously innovating to shape the future of sound.
Our European-designed solutions optimize Source, System, and Space—unleashing creative possibilities in content, perfecting audio technology, and harmonizing with venue acoustics to guarantee exceptional performance.
Our global team of over 1,000, with 20% dedicated to R&D, has pioneered breakthroughs like the V-DOSC line array, L-ISA immersive solutions, and the eco-conscious L Series—innovations that have both transformed our industry and transcended our auditory perceptions.
The world's most demanding stages trust us: Adele's Las Vegas residency, the Philharmonie de Paris, the Zaha Hadid-designed Guangzhou Opera House, and over 13,000 premium venues worldwide. We've earned this trust by consistently delivering extraordinary audio in every venue and any space.
We are L-Acoustics. We connect humans through the best shared sound experiences.
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