OCALA, FLORIDA: True to its name, the World Equestrian Center is destined to be the premier venue for all things equine. Located in Ocala, Florida, the “Horse Capital of the World,” the center already occupies 380 acres and is ready to grow in the coming years on an additional 300 acres. When it opens in January 2021, visitors from around the country and from around the world will be able to stay in a five-star hotel or claim a site in an expansive RV park. Over 2,000 fully-appointed stalls exist for the four-legged stars of the center, and four indoor arenas and seventeen outdoor arenas will showcase their talents. International AV integration firm All Pro Integrated Systems, of Pensacola, Florida, designed, and is in the process of installing, the sound reinforcement systems for the World Equestrian Center, relying on Danley Sound Labs’ fidelity, coverage, and weather resistance for all mission-critical outdoor systems. By the time it opens, over two-hundred Danley loudspeakers and subwoofers will be in place, supported by dozens of multi-channel Danley DNA amplifiers with onboard DSP.
“The Roberts family [owners of the facility] and Vinnie Card, director of operations, made it clear at the beginning of our discussions that horses have very sensitive hearing and that the sound reinforcement system should not upset them or break their concentration,” said Mark Salamone, sales manager at All Pro Integrated Systems. “Think of the stress the horses are potentially under – many will have flown in from across the Atlantic and will be housed in unfamiliar stalls with unfamiliar neighbors. The Roberts family and Vinnie Card didn’t want the sound to be shrill or overly loud. They didn’t want the horses riding into and out of coverage. It had to be perfect. In addition, the World Equestrian Center will be a high-class environment with people, who are accustomed to excellence, flying in from all around the world. When our design team hears these kinds of expectations, Danley is our go-to. We know from experience with churches, performing arts centers, sports stadiums, and more that Danley will reliably deliver the kind of high-end performance that the client expects.”
The 8,000-seat World Equestrian Center will use four beefy Danley J3-94 Jericho Horns for coverage of the field, the main, east-side seating and a courtyard. Sixty Danley Go2 8CX distributed loudspeakers cover the seating on the north and south sides of the arena from under its awning structure. Twenty-four Danley Nano Sub subwoofers pair with the Go2 8CX to give spectators an inspiring, full-frequency experience. A rack of Danley DNA 10k4 Pro amplifiers with integrated DSP and Dante connectivity will power the system. The 3,000-seat Derby Field will use just two Danley J7-95 Jericho Horns for coverage of the field and the main seating area. Fifty-two distributed Danley OS80 loudspeakers, paired with twenty Danley OS115 subwoofers, will provide additional coverage. Another rack of Danley DNA 10k4 and 20k4 Pro amplifiers will power the system. Over thirty Danley OS80s on poles provide additional coverage for smaller arenas, training spaces, and warm-up arenas.
“They didn’t know to ask for it by name, but the client was really after Danley fidelity, coverage, and performance,” Salamone explained. “Danley’s low-end performance, from its dedicated subwoofers and full-frequency Jericho Horns, is exceptional. And the way Danley’s unique point-source technology throws sound is exactly what the World Equestrian Center needs: the frequency response stays intact such that the sound near the speaker is identical to the sound far away. And Danley coverage is remarkably even. The center will be a noisy environment, and the Danleys will push through all of it while maintaining balanced, natural sound. On top of those considerations, we know from experience that Danley’s weatherized loudspeakers and subwoofers can stand up to central Florida’s onslaught of 90˚-plus temperatures, high humidity, torrential rains, and tremendous winds. That’s a very important consideration.”
Although much work remains before the grand opening, the install teams at All Pro Integrated Systems have already completed installation of several of the Danley systems. Already, the company’s design team is working on the World Equestrian Center’s future event spaces, including a three-plus-mile cross country course.
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Danley Sound Labs is the exclusive home of Tom Danley, one of the most innovative loudspeaker designers in the industry today and recognized worldwide as a pioneer for “outside the box” thinking in professional audio technology.
