Meyer Sound Brings the Thunder at Tampa Bay's AMALIE Arena

	"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," says McIntyre.

With dazzling attractions like lightning-throwing Tesla coils, 360° LED video displays, and a mighty five-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 its entertainment technology to the next level with the Meyer Sound PANTHER system, provided and installed by Solotech.

In 2019, Vinik Sports Group (VSG), which operates AMALIE Arena, started thinking about upgrading the sound system in its 670,000-sq.-ft. facility. "Our legacy audio system, which was in place for over 15 years, was at the end of its life," says Andrew McIntyre, SVP of technology and innovation at VSG. "It did not have the ability to reach seats at the upper level of the arena, and we had no intelligibility.

"We had lots of great messaging, from our video content to our highlight reels and our mics in the arena, that we wanted to make sure that people could hear and engage with," he continues. "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 array loudspeakers, 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 just the overall impact of the solution," says McIntyre. "That was the deciding factor of, 'Yes, this is a great system.' We knew we would not just be working with a great product, but also a great team who would help ensure that our unique building has the right solutions in place to enhance our fan experience."

The new PANTHER system was installed in 2023. The system is centered on 96 PANTHER loudspeakers in two horn variants, supported by 14 LEOPARD compact linear line array loudspeakers, 20 2100-LFC™ low-frequency control elements, 19 ULTRA-X40 compact loudspeakers. Systems are managed by Galileo GALAXY 816 and 408 Network Platforms and are configured in a hybrid MILAN/Dante network.

"Before the new system was put in place, you'd hear complaints of, 'I can't hear,' or, 'it's way too loud,'" says McIntyre. "It was a rough experience. Now, we've effectively eliminated all of this. We were able to improve the clarity of all of our messaging." And, 2100-LFCs deliver deep, defined bass throughout the arena. "We have the ability to really immerse people in sound, and do it differently," he explains. "It doesn't have to be just loud; it can actually be more robust. 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 make sure that we were able 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, director of game presentation at VSG. "This speaker system has done that for us."

The team at AMALIE Arena is looking forward to leveraging the new system's upgraded sonic capabilities to create new event content. They recently incorporated Meyer Sound's Spacemap Go spatial sound design and mixing tool and are experimenting with immersive audio. "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."

These developments are made possible with support from Meyer Sound, including ongoing training. "This upgrade is something that we are going to constantly be iterating through and growing and developing, and Meyer Sound is in lockstep with us to help us do that," says McIntyre.

"As we get to see Nebra and Compass [software] push forward in new updates, we get to say, 'Hey, it would be nice to have feature X'," adds Calvin Conaway, VSG's lead audio visual engineer. "It's awesome to have a big company like Meyer Sound say, 'We hear you,' from a customer standpoint."

Ultimately, it's all about the audience experience -- and having an edge in a world of high-tech arena entertainment. "What a new sound system did for us is, it allowed us to elevate the value proposition that your Lightning game ticket has," says John Franzone, SVP of game presentation at VSG. "And by extension, all of the other events that we have here in AMALIE Arena that make use of this sound system, suddenly it becomes a very potent, nice little weapon to have when you're in the event entertainment industry."

"We are very, very happy with the selection of Meyer Sound," says McIntyre. "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."