Q-SYS upgrades the experience at US’s largest race track

Q-SYS Professional Services has teamed up with integrator Alpha Video to revitalise the historic Churchill Downs race track in Louisville, Kentucky.

The track, which is home to the Kentucky Derby and can accommodate 170,000 spectators, wanted to deliver an exceptional AV experience to the hundreds of thousands of patrons who pass through its gates every year.

The team undertaking the project – which involved an AV foundation that spans more than 100,000 sq m – was tasked with replacing 40 disparate processors, managing 650 amplifier loads and creating a consistent control system. Using the software-based, cloud-managed Q-SYS platform, every zone was reimagined with a single Q-SYS design file, offering streamlined control with precise granularity.

In addition, the team was able to simplify end-user controls with dozens of customised interfaces, including intuitive map-based navigation allowing provisioned users to select any zone in the facility and remotely access volume and routing controls for on-the-fly adjustments, without any AV expertise. The team also modernised the life safety system, allowing any member of staff to initiate a critical page that can override throughout the entire facility.

The Q-SYS platform also allowed designers to create and deploy custom voicings for 16 third-party loudspeakers. The Q-SYS Reflect Enterprise Manager remote monitoring and management platform offered the team access to the system for real-time event support and consistent monitoring of the system.

Keith Wetzler, senior director and executive producer at Churchill Downs Broadcasting, said: “Delivering extraordinary experiences is foremost in our minds, as our patrons travel from around the world to experience Churchill Downs. As we continually work to enhance that experience, Alpha Video presented a compelling plan to upgrade our system, which included bringing in Q-SYS Professional Services. Both Q-SYS Professional Services and Alpha Video translated our ambitions into a successful Kentucky Derby and helped to create a standardised foundation that we are confident will continue to reliably scale as our needs evolve.”

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