AtlasIED’s audio equipment, including the Atmosphere platform and SM63T all-weather surface mount loudspeakers, were recently installed at the new headquarters of Feeding Northeast Florida (FNEFL), in Jacksonville, Florida. FNEFL works with retail partners, manufacturers, and farms to rescue high-quality food and get it into the hands of those in need. FNEFL serves more than 90,000 meals per day across its 12-county service area.
Having outgrown its former home, FNEFL purchased and renovated a new “forever” home that allowed it to greatly expand operations, increase storage space, and support the growing needs of the community. The leadership team turned to background music served by AtlasIED’s Atmosphere platform to elevate the ambiance throughout the building for staff and volunteers.
Jeff Aldrich, account manager at Guitar Center Professional, designed the audio system. FNEFL identified two key areas where background music could be beneficial: the volunteer floor, where volunteers group food to prepare for distribution, and a pre-event space. In addition, FNEFL identified a third space for events, support documentary screenings, third-party rentals and fundraisers.
For the three areas identified, AtlasIED’s Atmosphere AZMP8 was chosen. The AZMP8 is an 8-zone digital signal processor and the heart of an Atmosphere audio control system. It includes a 1200-watt built-in premium amplifier to help customers consolidate products in an audio rack and streamline system integration. The AZMP products offer background music, paging, and sound masking capabilities.
Each area was equipped with a WTSD-MIX31K, which allows staff to plug in a microphone and connect to the zone. Each zone also has an AtlasIED C-ZSV zone, source, and volume wall controller and its own Bluetooth control using the A-BT Bluetooth audio input, making it easier to control each area. ALA15T column line array speakers were installed in the event space to accommodate a projector and screen.
Two-way SM63T all-weather surface mount loudspeakers provided coverage for the volunteer floor and pre-event space. The vocal and musical clarity of the SM63T is optimised by the design of the AtlasIED TRX Control WaveGuide high-frequency director, which is designed to provide smooth, even sound coverage. While not directly exposed to the elements, the SM63T’s environmental resistance protects against Florida’s omnipresent humidity.
The work that the more than 13,000 annual volunteers perform is rewarding but requires a lot of attention to detail. One hundred thousand pounds of food and resources leave the warehouse daily; each food item is sorted by hand and inspected for freshness and safety by vital volunteers. The background music is designed to play a significant role in buoying spirits and keeping positive energy flowing.
Jeff Aldrich, account manager at Guitar Center Professional, said: “I had not worked with AtlasIED before this installation, but a co-worker highly recommended the company, so I decided to try out their products. I really enjoyed working with AtlasIED and its Atmosphere platform. It was very easy to configure and use. For end users that are not high-tech, it was also easy to train them. From a company standpoint, any hurdle we encountered, AtlasIED took care of us, and quickly.”
He concluded: “I have never been so impressed by a company such as AtlasIED. I felt 100 percent confident that my solution was fail-safe using AtlasIED and can’t fathom wanting to use any other company for a solution in the corporate install world of AV.”
