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AtlasIED Speakers Share Audio Messaging, Music and More at World Equestrian Center

AtlasIED speakers at horse facilityThe World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida, is a sprawling 400-acre entertainment mecca comprising an array of world-class stadiums, arenas, retail, restaurants, hotel and recreational facilities networked by 40 miles of fiber optic cable. AtlasIED speakers were installed to deliver music, announcements and event updates to spectators, competitors and guests in arenas, stadiums, stables, restaurants, gardens and more.

Deemed the largest equestrian complex in the U.S., the World Equestrian Center (WEC) is more like a village than a single-purpose sports facility. It requires ample technology to keep things running smoothly, including expansive audio systems to deliver background music, race-day announcements, event information and more. During a single week, any number of equestrian competitions, car shows, weddings, athletic tournaments, concerts and other events can take place simultaneously at various venues on the complex. This diversity, coupled with the sheer size of the facility, made the audio integration complex and challenging, according to Mark Salamone, sales manager at All Pro Integrated Systems. But certainly not impossible with the help of a commercial audio manufacturer like AtlasIED.

AtlasIED World Equestrian Center.12It would take a combination of many different speaker styles to deliver audio of exceptional clarity, frequency, coverage and musicality to multiple zones throughout the complex. This includes a full complement of AtlasIED speakers in each of the massive outdoor and indoor arenas, including the 145,00-square-foot Grand Arena. Each building houses 14 FS12T-94 horns and 56 FAP63T-W in-ceiling speakers for the audience area, 26 FS12T-99 horns for the event floor and 52 FAP63T-W in-ceiling speakers for additional coverage.

AtlasIED World Equestrian Center.10

All Pro Integrated Systems leveraged AtlasIED’s speaker catalog by installing all-weather surface-mounted SM82T-B speakers in small outdoor hunter/jumper arenas; wide-dispersion, pendant-style speakers in the hotel lobby; discreet, architecturally friendly ceiling-mounted FAP63T speakers in restaurants and retail establishments; weatherproof GST-G speakers tucked within the landscape along walkways and concourses; and six clusters of four APX40TN paging speakers in each barn.

Mobile trailers fitted with outdoor-rated LED walls and AtlasIED FS12T-99 horn speakers add yet another flexible and portable way to engage WEC visitors and spectators. For the integration team at All Pro Integrated Systems and the IT department at WEC, being able to acquire the lion’s share of speakers from a single source like AtlasIED also meant “less shopping around, fewer shipping hassles, and no concerns over quality,” said Salamone.

AtlasIED World Equestrian Center.9Curating the correct assortment of speakers was only part of the process in which the audio expertise of AtlasIED’s team of engineers and designers proved crucial. “In addition to proper speaker placement, AtlasIED helped us calibrate them accurately for each specific application,” Salamone said. For example, in the stables, audio was set at a specific frequency level to avoid spooking the horses yet remain intelligible for riders to hear race-day notifications. Public addresses and pages to employees and visitors on the grounds, meanwhile, needed to be of a higher volume and range for adequate coverage. Music delivered to the hotel lobby and restaurants was calibrated for smooth, full-bodied background listening.

 “We really designed the audio system with the needs of the animals in mind, as much as for the riders and the spectators,” Salamone said.

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