Michigan State University Spartan Stadium

The technology of the Fulcrum Acoustic AHS is unique. Its design allows it to be installed in confined spaces, provide a long throw, and provide even coverage over a large area. This created an unmatched fan experience, which is the goal of any audio system investment. Both the AJP consultants and WPS integrators are in agreement:

Jack Covert, Senior Design Engineer for Anthony James Partners, stated that the new audio system at Michigan State’s Spartan Stadium is “one of the best-sounding systems in all of college football.”

Keith Neubert, Executive Director of WPS, was in full agreement: “The system clarity, even at the highest outputs, is currently unmatched and we’ve been able to eliminate any hint of feedback from the input sources. Our team and partners have delivered a first-class audio experience that fans will enjoy for many years.

“The demands of athletic departments to increase attendance and maintain high levels of fan engagement are greater than ever. The expectations for excellent audio and video lead the charge in enticing fans to return to in-person events on the tail of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michigan State has made significant investments in recent years to bolster the fan experience through audio-video technology and Spartan Stadium is clearly on the forefront of this evolution.”

Washington Professional Systems (WPS), a national audiovisual technology integrator, was enlisted to complete a series of large-scale audio system enhancements at Michigan State University’s venue. The audio system, designed by Anthony James Partners, provides coverage for the bowl seating and concourse areas of the stadium and includes a series of Fulcrum Acoustic AHS steerable arrays.

The AHS series is targeted at applications where very high output and precise pattern control are required. The AHS’ configurable vertical pattern allows dispersion to be tailored to a venue’s needs. Its modularity allows it to scale as needed to tackle very long-throw applications, such as those encountered in stadium end-zone/scoreboard deployments. Additionally, its compact size allows the AHS to be integrated into congested scoreboard structures.

The AHS440 (45° horizontal beamwidth) utilises four HF horns, each paired with a coaxial compression driver. The AHS460 (60° horizontal beamwidth) uses three HF horns. Both models incorporate four high-power 10-inch woofers loaded by Oculus phase plugs. The Compression Head extends the LF horn length, allowing for LF extension to 60 Hz in a modest 28-inch depth. Frontal dimensions are a compact 36-inches wide by 31-inches tall.

Fulcrum Acoustic’s TQ processing combined with beam-forming DSP algorithms configure AHS vertical dispersion to match a venue’s specific geometries and throw distances. Multiple HF horns combine coherently to provide the output necessary to combat HF air loss, which can be substantial in stadium-scale applications.

“The ability to shape the coverage of the system and match the seating areas of the stadium resulted in a remarkably consistent coverage,” says Rich Frembes, Senior Technologist at Fulcrum Acoustic. Jack Covert, Senior Design Engineer for AJP, stated that the new audio system at MSU’s Spartan Stadium is “one of the best-sounding systems in all of college football.”

Keith Neubert, Executive Director of WPS, was in full agreement: “The system clarity, even at the highest outputs, is currently unmatched and we’ve been able to eliminate any hint of feedback from the input sources. Our team and partners have delivered a first-class audio experience that fans will enjoy for many years.”

The main difficulties the project encountered included limited install space, long-throw, and a large coverage area.

Rich Frembes, Senior Technologist at Fulcrum Acoustic, explained the challenges: “A lot of speakers had to go into two existing scoreboards that had very limited space to work with. The scoreboard is divided up into four or five levels inside, and we only had approximately two-and-a-half metres in height to work with, so we had to pack a lot of horsepower into that limited height profile.

“It’s 750ft from the south scoreboards, where the AHS loudspeakers are installed, to the far north end zone seats, so a long throw was needed. Plus, we had to match the seating profile of the stadium, too. The east/west clusters also had to cover from 10ft above field level to 113ft, which is the top of upper deck.”

The AHS series was the perfect match for Spartan Stadium, as it’s specifically targeted at applications where very high output and precise pattern control are required. The AHS’ configurable vertical pattern allows dispersion to be tailored to a venue’s needs. Its modularity allows it to scale as needed to tackle very long-throw applications, such as those encountered in stadium end-zone/scoreboard deployments. Additionally, its compact size allows the AHS to be integrated into congested scoreboard structures.

“The ability to shape the coverage of the system and match the seating areas of the stadium resulted in a remarkably consistent coverage,” Rich added. “One of the things we would do for the demonstration is to start at the far end zone and just have people walk all the way up to listen to some music – and you just wouldn’t perceive a change in level like you’d expect.”