For more than 14 years, Alex Bartlett has been dedicated to Aberdeen’s Pauer Sound.
Starting fresh out of high school, Bartlett spent years honing in on industry experience and knowledge, and by 2023, he bought the audio engineering company.
Hundreds of events in the surrounding area have been serviced by the local enterprise. From rentals, to sales, light equipment, and installation, they are able to custom design audio and visual networks and implement them into specific spaces.
“We work a lot with the Aberdeen Area Arts Council and City of Aberdeen,” Bartlett added. “We help the city with their summer concert series at the Kuhnert Arboretum every Tuesday night, and we assist them in booking the bands and all of that fun stuff.”
CATCH PAUER SOUND AT UPCOMING ABERDEEN EVENTS
Sundays on Sertoma Stage
JULY 5, 12, 19, 26
Kuhnert Arboretum Concert Series
JULY 7, 14, 21, 28
Downtown Aberdeen’s Summer Concert Series
JULY 9, 23
Brown County Fair
AUGUST 10-16
Sizzlin’ Summer Nights Car & Bike Show
AUGUST 22
Along with audio and visual design and set up, Bartlett says they aid in lighting, AV projection screens, and live sound and lighting production.
“Our main service we offer is sound system installation into churches, schools, football fields, and the other primary part of our business would be live sound production for medium size concerts, rodeos, bull rides, and things like that,” said Barlett.
Expectations have been high since the beginning, and Bartlett carries that with him as he now leads the business.
“We always install top-of-the-line equipment that comes with warranty,” added Bartlett. “We try to do our best to stay within a budget for our clients, but also give them the best quality they can get.”
“If you ask pretty much anybody in Aberdeen who they would recommend for sound or lighting, the answer is us.”
Alex Bartlett
The inception of Pauer Sound began in 1997. The previous owners Scott Sauer and Kevin Pleinis combined their last names and created the word “Pauer,” establishing their expertise in sound and light production. They started out by providing music lessons, sold and fixed instruments, and hosted live bands on a stage behind their brick and mortar.
According to Bartlett, both Sauer and Pleinis were lovers of music, great players of instruments, and experts at what they spent their livelihoods doing. With their melodic backgrounds, they decided to share their intellect and expertise with the rest of the area.
“I saw how the former partners led, and I respected and loved how I was trained,” added Bartlett. “They took someone that had no experience and put me under their wing.”
Pauer Sound has since evolved into what it is today, adapting to what the community needed.
While they don’t sell instruments anymore, they do still have a storefront on 1st Avenue fit with a recording studio and equipment to rent.
NEED A RENTAL?
Pauer Sound rents out battery-powered speakers, cables, lighting, microphones, and soundboards. For studio space rentals, email pauersoundstudio@gmail.com to get more information.
“When we transitioned out of the musical instrument world, we didn’t know how the business was going to handle that, but it’s been really great,” revealed Bartlett.
Bartlett was influenced by both collaborators, but he and Sauer were especially close since they worked together the most. As confidence was passed on, the business continued to offer the best grade of technology and service they could.
The new owner prides himself on the connections created and level of customer service Pauer Sound has maintained over the years.
“We’d love to do more corporate audio during the winter or more shows in the summer, locally, or beyond,” he added. “We’re dedicated to keep making more collaborations and expanding the business—bigger and better.”
One special moment for Barlett was when Pauer Sound covered the Darby, MT rodeo where Yellowstone was filmed.
Montana isn’t the only place they’ve traveled to. Bartlett says they’ve been as far as Minnesota and North Dakota.
Their Rapid City sister company, Powerhouse Production, services the other side of the state.
“I want to see the business blossom and keep going,” revealed Bartlett. “Now we’re looking for that next generation of sound people and techs to start training.”
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Pauer Sound LLC
One of Bartlett’s favorite memories was the former Aberdeen Living Christmas Tree event, a large communal gathering that used to occur every December, fit with live choirs, orchestras, and joy.
Along with a good time, Bartlett reflected on how the Christmas event provided great professional proficiency and how much he learned from it.
“It was just a great experience doing that show,” recalled Bartlett. “We had close to 70 microphones running at any one time, balancing all the different monitor feeds, lighthouse feeds, and internet feeds. It was definitely something I learned a lot from that helped me continue to grow into the future.”
Bartlett is continuously inspired by the owners who trained him, carrying the savvy and know-how that was passed on, informing his everyday work.
“Now the goal is to keep living up to the legacy they started, and try to honor them and make them proud,” added Bartlett.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT PAUERSOUNDLLC.COM+
