Tallahassee, FL (October 7, 2026)—Florida State University has a large campus, and when it came time to redesign the sound systems across multiple sports facilities, the stakes were high, but the client expectations were higher.
“For me, as an audio engineer in a previous life,” comments Wes McCall, Assistant Athletics Director of Information Technology at FSU, “clarity is super important. Being able to hear what you’re supposed to in every single part of the venue is something that we’ve never had in a lot of our [spaces].”
Duluth, GA-based Formetco won the tender in 2025, aiming to create an AV system that would deliver the best possible experience for both players and spectators—and that meant looking for future-proof and expandable solutions. Ultimately Formetco chose Allen & Heath as its installation partner and has since installed Avantis Solo consoles and AHM processors across three of the university’s stadiums—with more to come.
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Both the softball and baseball stadiums feature an Avantis Solo and DT168 expander. The Solo console offers 64 channels within a small footprint, while the DT168s provides remote I/O to the Dante-equipped mixer with 16 additional microphone preamps and 8 line outs.
FSU’s McCall notes, “The teams were able to come in and turn on the systems, plug in an iPhone, plug in a laptop, and play music for their batting practice or their workouts. Just that simplicity and ease-of-use is something that we were looking for on the control side, which we didn’t have before. But for somebody who has a technical background, I like to be in the nitty gritty of everything. It’s got those integral details I want to be available. I can bring out that tiny bit of EQ that’s causing harsh feedback in one spot.”
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Meanwhile, at the lacrosse complex, an AHM-16 matrix processor sits at the heart of the audio system, while an IP8 provides hands-on control via 8 motorized faders and 23 assignable SoftKeys, and a DT164-W expander provides additional mic preamps and outputs.
The next stage of the collaboration will be at the university’s volleyball facilities, where Formetco plans on installing a Qu-5D digital audio mixer, featuring a built-in 16×16 Dante interface, and a DT168 I/O expander.
