Feeding Northeast Florida (FNEFL) serves as the region’s largest, most efficient food bank, working with retail partners, manufacturers, and farms to rescue high-quality food and get it into the hands of those in need. Having outgrown its former location, Feeding Northeast Florida purchased and renovated a new 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.
Robin Warren, director of marketing and communications at Feeding Northeast Florida, contacted Jeff Aldrich, account manager at Guitar Center Professional, to design the audio system. Feeding Northeast Florida 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 that will be used for events, support documentary screenings, third-party rentals, fundraisers, and more. AtlasIED’s Atmosphere platform was more than capable of handling the additional design requirements for the event room. Guitar Center’s goal was to create a solution that balanced simplicity for everyday use with the capability to support various event needs. StageCulture, a Florida-based integrator, installed the AV system based on Guitar Center’s design.
[Audio Manufacturers Revisit Supply Chain Issues]
“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,” said Aldrich. “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.”
For the three areas identified, AtlasIED’s Atmosphere AZMP8 was aptly suited to meet the organization’s needs. 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 all in one solution.
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 extremely easy to control each area. ALA15T column line array speakers were installed in the event space to accommodate a projector and screen.
[What Happened to the AV Department?]
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 optimized by the advanced design of the AtlasIED TRX Control WaveGuide high-frequency director, providing smooth, even sound coverage. While not directly exposed to the elements, the SM63T’s environmental resistance was an excellent choice to protect against Florida’s omnipresent humidity.
The work 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 plays a significant role in buoying spirits and keeping positive energy flowing while volunteers serve the organization. According to staff, the AV system is very effective and easy to use, allowing them to focus on serving others.
“I have never been so impressed by a company such as AtlasIED,” said Aldrich. “I felt 100% 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.”
