Sports goers have embraced the fan experience in a big way, with attendees used to hearing music playbacks and play-by-play announcers with pristine clarity and intelligibility — all at rock ‘n’ roll levels. Thankfully, the days of underpowered arena center clusters or stadiums ringed by paging horns on 20-foot poles are long behind us. With that in mind, we looked at a number of recent audio projects — each of which met success by applying the right gear in the right situation.
Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
With dazzling attractions like lightning-throwing Tesla coils, 360-degree LED video displays, and a mighty 5-manual digital pipe organ, Amalie Arena, home of three-time Stanley Cup champion the Tampa Bay Lightning, delivers world-class experiences at every game, concert and event. The venue, which has hosted NHL and NCAA games, the 2012 Republican National Convention, and concerts by Madonna, Elton John, Drake, and Bad Bunny, took the venue to the next level with a Meyer Sound Panther system, provided and installed by Solotech.
Vinik Sports Group (VSG), which operates Amalie Arena, started thinking about upgrading the sound system on 2019. “Our 15-year-old audio system was at the end of its life,” says Andrew McIntyre, VSG’s SVP of Technology & Innovation. “It did not have the ability to reach seats at the upper level of the arena; we had no intelligibility and sadly, there was no bass in the entire arena.”
In 2022, intrigued by the capabilities of Meyer Sound’s Panther large-format linear line arrays, the VSG team visited the first permanent install, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. “We looked at their design, the quality of the sound, the coverage, and the overall impact of the solution,” says McIntyre. “That was the deciding factor. We knew we would be working with a great product, but also a great team to help ensure that our unique building has the right solutions in place.”
The Panther system at Amalie is centered on 96 Panther speakers in two horn variants, supported by 14 Leopard compact line arrays, 20 2100-LFC low-frequency control elements, and 19 Ultra-X40 compact speakers. Systems are managed via Galileo Galaxy 816 and 408 Network Platforms and configured in a hybrid Milan/Dante network.
For the VSG team, Panther’s superior clarity and coverage are game changers. “We were able to improve the clarity of all of our messaging” says McIntyre. And, 2100-LFCs deliver deep, defined bass throughout the arena. “We have the ability to really immerse people in sound. We used to have a 15-year-old Pinto, and now we have a Cadillac.”
Most importantly, fans now enjoy a premium sound experience in every seat. “One thing that we wanted to bring to our fans is if you’re sitting on the glass or if you’re sitting in the last row, it’s the same experience,” says Stephen Frey, VSG director of game presentation. “This speaker system has done that for us.”
Amalie Arena’s team also incorporated Meyer Sound’s Spacemap Go spatial sound design and mixing tool, and they are experimenting with immersive audio as well. “If you think about who we are as the Lightning, it’s about thunder and lightning,” says McIntyre. “So, the audio system becomes the thunder, and we can use Spacemap Go and spatial audio design to present things like rolling thunder moving around the building.”
“We are very happy with the selection of Meyer Sound,” McIntyre adds. “And we’re very excited with where we see our presentation going in the future. We believe strongly that Meyer Sound is going to get us there.”
Amalie Arena
- Capacity: 21,500
- Key Components: Meyer Sound Panther System
- Integrator: Solotech
Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
Just in time for the 2024 NFL season, the Seattle Seahawks completed a massive technology upgrade to Lumen Field, with a new d&b audiotechnik sound system. The audio component of the upgrade was driven by a need for uniform coverage throughout the stadium, improved speech intelligibility, low-frequency impact and better presentation of music and video content.
To achieve these goals, the Seahawks enlisted Diversified who provided a complete sound system including nearly 500 loudspeakers and over 140 amplifiers from d&b audiotechnik, leading with KSL loudspeakers and XSLi-SUBs.
“The Seahawks had done their research and were interested in d&b cardioid array technology. Together, we identified that d&b had the best product line available to cater to the acoustic environment of Lumen Field,” says Diversified’s Lane Baird. “This massive system consists of d&b audiotechnik KSL arrays, XSL subs, and a few hundred point-source speakers, including the V and XS series — 474 loudspeakers and 148 four-channel amplifiers, to be exact.”
The main system employs Special Version Stadium (SVS) speakers, with 140 KSLi8/KSLi12 SVS and 48 XSLi-SUB SVS subs. The upper bowl fill system has 48 Vi8/Vi12 SVS. In addition, a wide variety of point-source speakers ensure adequate coverage throughout the stadium, specifically: 66 44S WR, 10 Vi7P HWR (High Weather Resistant), eight Vi7P SWR (Sea Water Resistant), 20 10S/10S-D HWR, 76 8S HWR, 48 5S HWR. Powering is via by 105 40D amplifiers, 35 5D amplifiers and eight 30D amplifiers. The 30D amps were previously installed at Lumen Field and were integrated into the new system. Everything is networked together via four DS10 Audio Network Bridges.
ArrayProcessing was employed to even out the levels between the upper deck (which is physically closer to the array) and the lower bowl seating (farther from the array). ArrayProcessing is also used for redirecting audio away from unoccupied upper bowl seats during events occurring in only the lower bowl.
With ArrayProcessing, the system retains its depth and power when redirecting audio. ArrayProcessing can also compensate for the weather, so the sound system can accommodate warm summers and cold, rainy winters. And all main system speakers were color matched to the building’s superstructure.
Lumen Field’s previous system did not provide even coverage, created unnecessary reverberation in the upper deck area, and did not have enough bass. The new system was able to overcome all the previous issues and provide significantly improved levels of voice intelligibility, while surpassing the intense crowd noise levels.
“To date, the new d&b audiotechnik system sounds great, says Seahawks VP of technology, Chip Suttles. “It’s a huge improvement over our old system and will create a more exciting, concert-like experience for fans. Lumen Field can now go head-to-head in audio quality against any new stadiums built in recent years. I am very pleased with the outcome and it’s all thanks to Diversified and d&b audiotechnik.”
Lumen Field
- Capacity: 68,740
- Key Components: d&b audiotechnik
- Integrator: Diversified
FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
“Putting sound into a large college football stadium is always about punching all the way to the other side of the facility, but also sounding good doing it, which is why we landed the K2,” comments Ben Boeshans, senior consultant at Salas O’Brien, which designed and specified the L-Acoustics sound system installed at Nashville’s FirstBank Stadium, just in time for the start of the 2024-25 college football season. “It puts sound exactly where it’s needed.”
In addition to being home to Vanderbilt University’s Commodores, over the years FirstBank Stadium has hosted shows for the Rolling Stones, Luke Bryan and the Dave Matthews Band, among many others. Yet the venue still needed to have its sound brought into the 21st century, and the FirstBank team recently upgraded to an L-Acoustics K2 sound system installed by Brentwood-based integrator CTS AVL.
The primary goal was to ensure excellent sound coverage for all seats. That system now comprises 24 K2 enclosures in left/right arrays in the north end zone, below which are hangs of four A15 speakers per side, deployed as fills for the seating below. Low-end is extended with 16 KS28 subwoofers. The K2 and A15i are driven at single-box resolution via LA7.16i, and the KS28 subwoofers are driven by LA12X.
According to Boeshans, throw distance and the amount of volume necessary can make speech intelligibility a challenge. “In stadiums, echoes are your biggest enemy. The key is precision: put sound where you need it, keep it out of where you don’t,” Boeshans explains. “This is crucial for referee mics especially. If you’re not careful with aiming and control, you’ll end up blasting sound all over the field — and then you’re toast.”
The design solution was to create three independent speaker arrays. “We articulated each array with precision: the top targets the south end zone, while the middle and bottom cover specific seating sections. This deliberate targeting ensures complete coverage without overlap, dramatically improving sound clarity throughout the stadium,” Boeshans says.
The other bit that’s noteworthy, he adds, is that the top two of those arrays are K2 speakers, but the bottom is an A15. “The additional gain output of a K2 was not necessary in this part of the space,” Boeshans continues. “Fortunately, L-Acoustics gives us the range of options we need to perfectly fit the system design to the project requirements.”
The Commodores kicked off the season with two impressive and electrifying home victories. The new sound system has amplified this on-field excitement, says CTS AVL’s VP of integration Neal Watson. “The system sounds fantastic, and the coverage is exceptional. The P.A.’s great energy synergizes with the team’s performance, creating an electric atmosphere that fires up the crowds. It’s a perfect complement to the Commodores’ winning momentum.”
FirstBank Stadium
- Capacity: 39,790
- Key Components: L-Acoustics K2 Line Arrays
- Designer: Salas O’Brien
- Integrator: CTS AVL
Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
Metinteractive provided a new audio system for the University of Michigan’s Michigan Stadium, the largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere and the third largest in the world. The venue seats almost 108,000 spectators. Nicknamed “The Big House,” Michigan Stadium had a $41 million facelift with the aim of enhancing the fan experience with bigger scoreboards, an improved audio system for better sound balance throughout the bowl, and new lighting.
Metinteractive was contracted by Mitsubishi Electric, the project’s prime contractor and scoreboard provider. “We had worked with Metinteractive before, and it was very clear that they knew this job very well — they’re our go-to integrator and audio supplier,” says Mitsubishi Electric’s Jon Deiuliis.
“The primary design challenge for Michigan Stadium was compounded by the sheer size of the facility,” notes Metinteractive engineer Keith Book. “We had to get high-frequency sound 800 feet across to the other end zone. An EAW Anya speaker array was one of the few products that could deliver what we needed.”
Another challenge was the project’s tight timeline. “We needed to complete in time for the Wolverines’ home opener,” says Metinteractive’s Don Ellis. “The size and scope of this project was about as close to pro football as you can get on the college level.”
“There was nothing easy about this job,” adds Deiuliis. “It was a complex system that needed to work seamlessly, with time factored in to make adjustments, and operate perfectly for opening day.”
Book explains that the ability to actively focus energy vertically is paramount when driving audio across a football stadium of length. It’s not just about even coverage for the audience — it’s about not exciting walls, scoreboards, glass or any other surface in its path. Careful consideration was also given to sound ordinances affecting nearby residential and commercial properties.
EAW notes that the Anya speakers offered several major advantages for a stadium system design, including an inline vertical form factor, a hearty low-frequency extension and the ability to throw high-frequencies over long distances. EAW Otto subwoofers were co-located above the Anya speakers.
Anya’s vertical form factor allowed installation in a smaller cavity area within the new North scoreboard assembly. Not only did the 30-plus-foot-tall array fit, but it also enabled service catwalk extensions behind the speaker systems. This would have been very difficult to coordinate and install with a more traditional curvilinear array system. In addition, the low frequency extension generated a warm and crowd-pleasing response.
Metinteractive also provided downfill speakers for the area directly in front of the North scoreboard and under-mezz speakers for the east side’s upper seating, which was hard to reach with the main speaker array. These small powerhouse speakers from EAW’s MKD series performed well paired with QSC Q-SYS power amps and DSP.
Shure Axient Digital mics serve as a solid, versatile wireless system, primarily for referees. A Yamaha CL series console with SoundGrid and Waves integration brought everything together in the sound booth and represented a considerable upgrade over previous gear.
Deiuliis believes that Metinteractive’s process of mounting and testing all equipment at its Connecticut facility before arriving on site was “a key to the project’s success. Everything was vetted ahead of time, so Metinteractive was confident and ready to go in Michigan, and we experienced no major issues on site.”
Michigan Stadium
- Capacity: 108,000
- Key Components: EAW Anya line arrays
- Integrator: Metinteractive
- Designer: Mark Graham of WJHW
