Initially opened in 1924 as a film and vaudeville venue, the Granada Theater treated audiences to live performances by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Henry Fonda, Helen Hayes, world-class ballet companies, the New York and Berlin Philharmonic orchestras and the Cleveland Orchestra. Since the 1970s the venue served principally as a film theater and had fallen into major disrepair. The Granada now serves as a large-scale, year-round venue for theater, dance, orchestra, recitals, opera, musicals, film series (including premiers and film festivals), lectures and conferences.

Of prime importance, is its new role as the home of the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra and local opera programming. Much was required to bring it up to the expectations of both today's performers and audiences. MCH provided provide both acoustical and audiovisual guidance & design to meet the needs of all performers. MCH's work involved noise control design for new HVAC throughout, exterior noise control from the surrounding urban environment, interviews with the extraordinarily wide range of user groups, acoustical modeling, design of a custom orchestra shell, variable acoustics, and new audio and projection systems.

Steven Libowitz (Montecito Journal) commented says: "The acoustics in the new theater are so crisp, so clear, each instrument so articulate. I'm not sure I ever want to hear music in any other hall in Santa Barbara again".

A 15 year veteran violinist commented that he was "simply overwhelmed and overjoyed by the acoustics.....that the Granada was as good as the great halls of the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic."