Alachua Equestrian Center improves audio intelligibility with LEA Professional amplifiers
SOUTH BEND, Ind., August 23, 2024 – Gainesville is definitely “Gator Country” and a hub of activity. Home of the University of Florida Gators, Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida and offers a wealth of unforgettable experiences in north central Florida’s most populous city. With a population of nearly 150,000, visitors can immerse themselves in world-class museums, be thrilled by the performing arts and groove to live music. For the adventurous, there are eight nearby state parks with over 100 miles of trails for biking, bird watching and hiking, promising exciting experiences for all.
To expand research opportunities and community resources, the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners partnered with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) to develop the Alachua County Agriculture and Equestrian Center. The center was created to provide a comprehensive venue for livestock shows, agricultural fairs, equestrian events, and various community activities. To power outdoor speakers throughout the venue, the center selected LEA Professional’s award-winning Connect Series amplifiers.
Development of the 37-acre site included building new barn structures, renovating a 250-by-150-foot indoor riding arena, and building a new outdoor arena. These arenas included new lighting, PA systems, bleachers, and other infrastructure elements. When it came to implementing the PA system, facility staff contacted Daniel Hunt, JSC Systems’ Director of Business Development, to design and deploy it.
“The equestrian center wanted to ensure that the speech intelligibility and audibility of the PA system was excellent in both the arenas and stables to ensure that competitors remained well informed,” said Hunt. “LEA amplifiers were my first choice to ensure exceptional sound quality.”
One of the requirements for the PA system was to be able to address the stables from each arena via the Crestron-controlled system, so Hunt used Connect Series 704 smart amplifiers for the stables and pole-mounted speakers in the arenas. The IoT-enabled 4-channel 704D offers 700 watts per channel, supports Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z, selectable by channel, and features Smart Power Bridge technology. The equestrian center can be connected in three ways: it can use the built-in WiFi access point, connect to the center’s WiFi, or connect to the local network via a Cat5 or Cat6 cable.
The Connect Series is the industry’s first professional amplifier family with cloud connectivity, a revolutionary advancement and a significant benefit for those maintaining the systems. With LEA Cloud, AV teams can remotely control and monitor the amplifiers regardless of location or time of day. Whether at the equestrian center or outside, remote control of the Connect Series amplifiers helps teams work more efficiently, reduces travel costs and saves time and money.
“LEA Professional is proud to deliver crystal clear audio to the spectators and participants at the Alachua Equestrian Center,” said Brian Pickowitz, VP of Marketing at LEA Professional. “Our goal is to use our technology to give integrators and users the confidence that their audio systems will exceed expectations.”