EMI Audio Reviews

Friendly service and affordable equipment for rent.

Great place. I've experienced fast, friendly service from both their rental and service departments for almost ten years now. Some of my non-technical clients, friends, and referrals have also expressed how helpful and patient EMI has been walking them through things. The same cannot be said for some other AV rentals in the Twin Cities.

Very informative people and great service! They were able to answer all of my questions about setting up for a wedding and the equipment needed to make it happen within my budget. Would definitely recommend them if you're looking into renting out professional audio equipment!

Wonderful customer service, knowledgeable sales staff, extremely reasonable rental rates and terms

Great place for DJs on budget like me, not every instrument should be new. Great customer service too

Brought in a Marshal amp and a Mackie mixer board for crackling issues and repair of main volume fader. Was told Marshall may have Tube contact issues and could not get it to repeat Crackle sound. Amp continues to have this issue despite my cleaning. Charged way to much for work performed and not really helping figure out its issues. The mackie I was told needed a new main board and was not cost effective to repair or replace board. was charged standard fee and left with nothing repaired. I feel like I was Soundly taken for well over $250 and will never work with them again. Poor work on debugging and effort to help out. Do not trust them.

Great prices, lots of choices, I felt like a kid in a candy store.

Great staff and very flexible to work with. They have a great selection of gear for any kind of event or performance.

Rented some equipment from here. Very friendly, easy to find, had exactly what was needed.

I work for a community theater in Columbia Heights for the past 5 years now. We have been working with EMI for those past 5 years and never have been disappointed with their connection. They are well educated in Audio and Lighting with great customer service. They give their customers each individual care to help me better understand what I'm purchasing. They personally go out of their way to ensure that I am getting exactly what we need and they have amazing prices. I would highly suggest going through EMI for any event. Thanks EMI for all your hard work to provide even the smallest of companies with just as much care as a larger company.

Good service!
I been a customer since they where located in NE Mpls.. Till this day I go there once in a while to purchase equipment or rent what I need.
Great People here
Shout out to Donovan, Matt and Chris!!!

Always my go to place to rent DJ equipment. Everyone there is very knowledgeable and help share ideas when you need it.

I've worked with EMI several times to get equipment for my church, and I've always had great customer service! I just brought in some equipment that needed to be repaired, and they were able to diagnose the problem right away and made sure I didn't rent anything I didn't need.

Always great. Employees are very knowledgeable and ready to help solve challenging situations and unique needs!

I dj professionally, and this is one of my go to spots for renting equipment, getting repairs, etc. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, they always have plenty of gear, and the popcorn isn't too bad either
They have everything you can think of, and also they have sales where you can sometimes catch a great deal on gear you might need. I have rented speakers, lights, bought controllers, cords, mics...you name it from here. Never had a problem with returning stuff (even if I was a little late-a phone call to them usually gets you a pass), they usually have all the newest stuff, and this is just a great place overall. If you are lucky enough to attend one of their special events, you might even get to check out their roofspace upstairs, which would be the best club ever if they ever wanted to go that route ...seriously, check them out if you need gear, you won't be disappointed!

Store is laid out to be not crowded. Very helpful staff. I'll be going back.

Our company A Ran Music service has been working with EMI for 20 years. From large band concerts to wedding receptions and corporate events, they have always been professional, courteous, reliably, and extremely knowledgeable. EMI offers quality products at reasonable prices! EMI IS OUR GO TO COMPANY FOR RENTAL AND REPAIRS!

Pretty much everything you'll need for your pro audio gig.

We rented the small speaker and microphone for our wedding with 50 guests. It was perfect! The small package would work perfectly even if we had 100+ guests! I ve never had to DJ an event before, but EMI Audio made it soo easy. The speaker was Bluetooth so I just connected my phone that way, and played music off of it. The package comes with everything you need for a reasonable price. I needed some extra time for drop off, and when I called they were very professional and worked with me. I am very appreciative for EMI Audio helping to make the music for our wedding stress free. I would highly recommend!

I've worked with the folks at EMI for a few years now. They are always helpful over the phone and email when reserving equipment. Pick-up and Drop-off is efficient and they always make sure I have everything I need BEFORE I leave the shop. EMI is a fantastic local business that will make sure you get what you need and treat you great in the process!

The crew is amazing, super knowledgeable and personable. James is exceptional and is an amazing resource. For any event in MN that you may need sound and lighting for, don't hesitate to use EMI.

Absolutely outstanding service. In and out with all my questions answered in under 15 minutes. I will never go anywhere else for pro audio ever again.

EMI Audio helped me out with an event at BauHaus this month and it was a great experience all around. James was super friendly throughout the booking process, and answered a million of my questions patiently and thoroughly. He arrived early with all of the audio gear, and setup everything swiftly and efficiently. He was familiar with the space, and knew exactly where to set everything to get the best possible audio. The event sounded great, and I will definitely be using them again! Thank you so much!

EMI gave us a great price on a couple of quality headset mics. Quick response time, and they back up their sales with great service. Devin was easy to work with and clear in his communication. We'll be coming back!

EMI has many different things for sale or to rent for any show, concert or wh awww t ever you may need audio, lighting, or projection for. They are my go-to place!

Great staff, easy to work with. Absolutely love the relationship I've built with them. Always my first stop for lighting & audio needs.

EMI has great equipment for rent at reasonable prices AND they are easy to work with. Have been using their services for a few years know with zero issues. Thanks EMI

If you are interested in anything sound, lighting or DJ related, this place is heaven for you!

I got my keyboard back, it works - the staff was friendly and I have nothing bad to say about that. The reason I'm giving a 2-star review is for 3 reasons: 1. The LONG turn around (6+ weeks) time to get this back, and 2. the lack of almost any communication while it was being delayed, and finally 3. After waiting an eternity for my favorite keyboard back, a $20 charge for parts on top of a $110 base fee.

I brought my keyboard in at some point in February and was told it'd be done in 4-weeks. I called in a few times for updates, and was told that they hadn't had a chance to look at it, but after I passed the 4-week mark I got one vague text about parts coming in and it being finished in another week (it took 2 more weeks beyond this text when I finally did get it back). Later, when I pinged the person who texted me, I got no response back. Finally, after 6+ weeks of waiting, I was told it was ready to pick up.

I understand we're in a weird quarantine situation and my timing for a repair fell somewhere within that, but that's no excuse to keep customers in the dark on an instrument that especially during these times, are super important to have back in your possession. When I finally did pick it up at EMI, there was an additional fee much to my surprise. I figured that my initial $110+ base fee would have covered fixing a single nob on my Roland, but there were additional parts and labor that my base didn't cover. In lieu of a long time to get this turned around with almost 0 communication - forgiving this $20 up-charge would have been a nice consideration.

The repair took excellent, and Keyboard is functioning - credit where credit is due, the keyboard works like new. I just wish that my experience waiting on getting it back wasn't so frustrating and expensive.

EMI Audio always delivers a great experience. Their sales staff are very knowledgeable and take time to explain every product in detail prior to purchase. I'd highly recommend them for rentals and purchase!

Great prices on rentals. Staff is very professional and very knowledgeable about the products. They'll always make sure you have what you need to bump up the party.

The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Large variety of gear with reasonable rental prices. I highly recommend EMI.

I can't say enough good about EMI Audio! I have worked with them, more specifically Matt Widing, over several years and I am always impressed and happy with their equipment, customer service and amazing willingness to make things work! I recently was able to introduce some beautiful LED lighting to an outdoor concert that made it absolutely magical and memorable. I am looking forward to working even more with them to support the growth of my productions!
It is so tough to find companies that genuinely cares about what they do and takes a personal interest in making sure your needs are met and exceeded. I can confidently say EMI Audio is that company...THANK YOU!

Outstanding customer service, great deals, and great rental rates! Whenever I'm in need this is the first and only place I have ever needed to go.

Excellent Service! I was in a jam trying to DJ a wedding and my gear got caught up multiple states away. I found EMI and contacted them. Within 10 minutes, I was contacted back via email and starting the rental process. What impressed me was that the consultant told me the system I wanted was not available but they had a few similar systems. He asked a few more questions and suggested an equivalent option that turned out to be cheaper. Excellent service over trying to just upsell to make a point.

In store was quick and efficient and a 5 day period to rent the systems. The wedding was well covered with the system and I got many compliments for it! Would absolutely rent a system from these guys again and have passed on 3-4 other people to them for their wedding needs. Overall, I'm very impressed!

Great place to get pro sound equipment. The rental rates are very competitive too.

The team is wonderful to work with! Highly recommend!

EMI Audio is awesome! Best place to rent quality equipment - great customer service as well!

My compliments to EMI, Matt Wilding, and the rest of the team. Experience was exceptional. I came to EMI needing audio equipment for my daughter's wedding and he and they took my expectations and identified all the right items and contingency support if needed (i.e. wind, indoor, outdoor, etc). Things worked out well. Did a dry run the day before and was unable to understand a couple connection items but the support team walked me through them. Wedding went great and sound was right on target! Will recommend to anyone!

James with EMI Audio set up lighting for our Twin Cities Wedding & Event Professionals event on September 11th in Minneapolis at the Hennepin Theatre Trust. It was great! EMI Audio is easy to work with and James is spectacuar. We highly recommend it.

Always professional, fast, and friendly service. Highly recommendable!

James with EMI Audio attends our networking group "Twin Cities Wedding & Event Professionals" and has been a consistent member for years. He is always helpful, knowledgable, and everyone loves him! Highly recommend EMI for your needs.

Fixed my Marshall amp in the time they quoted and for a decent price. Works like new.
Great customer service as well.

EMI Audio helped us out for a corporate 5k run/walk event. Our planning was very last minute, but they were great about getting everything squared away despite the time crunch. The communication and explanations of what would be needed at our event was great, and everything ran very smooth the day of. They were also great about working within our budget. The band we had perform for our event complimented the set up as well, saying they were a great team to work with. Highly recommend!

EMI Audio is the best. Super professional and quick to respond to any inquiries. Highly recommended!

Helpful staff and fair prices. Worked with them for a sound board upgrade and training for a local church. Jeff G helped us through what we needed for the big upgrade (2 boards) without trying to oversell us like another shop had.

Best place to rent audio video needs quality products fair prices knowledgeable staff very friendly helpful

Matt is professional and makes sure you are 100% ready to go.

Very helpful, friendly and efficient. I/we my sound and lights guru highly recommend them. We're on our way to return our rental.

Matt and everyone at EMI is incredibly helpful and knowledgable about all the gear. They're quick to respond and happy to help!

EMI will set you up with all your needs! I was recently at a networking event where EMI provided the amplification equipment...and it's not the first time I have seen their set up...fast, efficient, professional and on point! Highly recommended!

EMI Audio went ABOVE and beyond my expectations!! As a student at the University of Minnesota and the lead planner of a large event hosted on campus, EMI Audio made the day stress-free and helped make the event incredible with amazing and easy to use equipment. The day before my event, I arrived at the EMI Audio shop and was presented with friendly staff and a great run through of the equipment, the set-up, tear down, and instructions for how to use everything. As we were loading everything into my car, we realized the podium I had rented did not fit - I immediately began to panic as I had no other means of transporting the equipment to campus. Most rental places would just leave you to find a solution yourself (as I had already paid them) BUT, EMI Audio immediately jumped into action and found a quick solution - they called their driver (Josh) and set up a delivery for us, with no extra charge. Myself and my team were floored by the incredible customer service throughout the entire experience & will definitely be going back for any events in the future!

I just picked up some equipment I'm renting. I was quoted the wrong price for some items when I called (which is of course something perhaps they should look into!), but when I mentioned my surprise, the person ringing me up immediately offered to redo the sale and only charge me for the prices I was quoted. Very good customer service. I was impressed.

Been working with Matt at EMI for about a decade now. Only have the best things to say about this place. The team is super helpful, very knowledgeable, and have always made our rentals experience quick and painless. Cannot Stress enough how much I love EMI.

Great service and reasonably friendly techs... they offer some great prices and have a deep range of equipment to cover all your audio needs.

Great selection of products. Easy to work with and the staff I dealt with were really helpful. Will use them whenever I need audio and video equipment. Thank you!

Well it's a repair place for electronic musical and lighting I took my amplifier in and it'll be 3 weeks there's a minimum charge then you get to set the maximum charge the wait is 3 weeks at the moment and after that I can give you a real review.

Love working with these guys. They are pros and have helped me out a ton.

Talk about great service! Great prices! Bought something and ended up not needing it. They allowed me to return it within 7 days. Then I ended up renting a wireless lavaliere mic and it was less than 30 bucks for 5 days... Fraction of West Photo rentals. Highly recommend.

Even though I do not partake in DJ-ing activities, I love stopping into EMI for repairs and shopping around for items I cannot find at regular music stores.

EMI Audio is my go to for all things event rental and sound. They are super personable and have always treated me with a caring attitude and great knowledge. As a DJ it is important for me to get advice I can trust. They have guided me for the last 10+ years going above and beyond. Thanks for all the love my friends! Cheers to your awesome service :)

$350 to replace a fuse and solder a power switch lead.

For repair, take your stuff somewhere else. Bad business model.

Brought in some equipment for a warranty repair. Backlog was three weeks- ok, I can wait. Waited the three weeks, thinking they were working on this. Turns out, they didn't even look at the damn thing for three weeks. No updates, no phone calls. It will apparently take you walking into their store to remind them that they physically even have your equipment.

Turns out, there isn't anything they could fix anyway, and they just wasted three weeks of your time because they couldn't be bothered to even assess your stuff after a few days of possession.

Huge selection of equipment and lighting. Customer service is A+! You can reserve equipment over the phone and pick it up at the store ahead of time. Good location and plentiful parking space.

Excellent selection of quality gear for both audio and lighting. Friendly and professional service. Great pricing considering the quality of the gear that you are getting. Ask for Matt, he will take care of you.

1 love

Very Good For Professional Audio And Mechanical Assistance On The Equipment ..... !!

Need audio equipment for an event? They have it! Amazed by all of the lighting, audio, and video items they have available to rent, and they also offer event production packages! A great option worth checking out for your next event!

Rented a lot of equipment but had to return several things because they didn't work. The Replacements didn't work either so I was far from satisfied.

I got my QSC K12.2 repaired here under warranty and they fixed it and also did diagnostics and tune it to make sure it's sounding good. They told me it would take awhile to fix it and because of Covid-19 I wasn't in a rush to use it. I got many equipment fixed here before so I highly recommend this place.

Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Great place for audio and light rental.

For years I have had the joy of working with EMI. Always perfection and professional. Thanks team!

Let's just say if I could get them 6 stars out of 5 I would. Smart, friendly, helpful, and willing to develop creative solutions.

Love working with them and have for years. They provide expert advice and recommendations, but also works within your budget. Everyone from the rental team, to repair shop and install, they're top-notch professionals. I recommend them all the time.

Awesome service and help every time we call them up. They provided a new lighting system for our event, and really took the time to help us understand what would be best for our needs and budget. Highly recommend them!

Fair pricing vast selection with knowledgable forth coming staff.