The DakotaDome, located on the University of South Dakota campus in Vermillion, South Dakota, has served as the home of Coyote athletics for decades.

Built in 1979, the 9,100-seat facility was one of the first multi-purpose domes in the nation. Today, it serves as the home of the Coyote football, indoor track and field, and swimming and diving programs. The dome also hosts the championship games of the South Dakota high school football playoffs, the DAKOTA Farm Show, community youth events, and graduation ceremonies.

To serve the evolving needs of the university and its community, it was determined that a major renovation of the dome was required. As part of this project, the university decided to update the audio capabilities of the redesigned space.

SOLUTION

The original design for the renovated dome’s sound requirements proved to not meet the required performance standard. DB Acoustics, the project’s sound contractor, suggested implementing Biamp’s Community I-Series loudspeakers for the redesign. Patrick Doubet from DB Acoustics worked in conjunction with Dale Shirk, Senior Applications Engineer from Biamp, to determine which models would prove most effective within the dome. The Community IV6-1122 arrays allowed for the necessary output and coverage within a compact package, enabling a smaller product footprint within the space. Corner coverage, meanwhile, was reinforced thanks to high-powered R.5 loudspeakers. Low frequency extension was provided by two clusters of IS8-218 dual subwoofers. Once they were installed and tested, university staff were very pleased with the results provided by the Community loudspeakers.