Behind the Sound: Creating Complete Audio Experiences for Any Venue

At Daktronics, we’re widely known for our video displays, but we also have a team of experts making big things happen in audio. On a recent episode of The Daktronics Experience Podcast, Justin Ochsner and I sat down with two of our in-house audio specialists: John Olson, our national audio sales representative, and David Sturzenbecher, audio applications engineer. Together, they help venues of all sizes, from high schools to professional stadiums, bring their sound systems to life.

This episode gave me a deeper appreciation of just how much thought, planning and customization go into designing and installing audio systems. It’s far from a "just put some speakers up" process.

A Foundation in Sound

Both John and Dave shared how they found their way into the world of audio. For John, it started with church audio and grew through a career in AV at a hospital before launching his own company and eventually joining Daktronics in 2006. Dave's journey started early, too, tinkering alongside his father, the chief engineer at a local TV station, and eventually joining Daktronics while earning his electrical engineering degree at South Dakota State University.

Their passion for audio came through clearly and it’s a big reason they’re so good at what they do.

Custom Solutions for Every Venue

One major takeaway from the episode? No two audio systems are exactly alike.

“Every venue has unique needs,” John said. “We’ve never done the same system twice.”

While we offer standard systems for smaller indoor and outdoor venues, the majority of our work is highly customized. Dave described his process of working with customers to determine their functional and performance goals — whether it’s louder output, better low-end response or multi-zone flexibility — and then using acoustical modeling software to tailor a system that fits.

From football stadiums to shopping malls, from weight rooms to therapy spaces, the variety of environments we work in demands flexibility and precision. Dave pointed out that we often collaborate with a school’s IT department to determine which audio zones they want to manage internally and which ones we’ll take on as part of the project.

Bringing First Bank & Trust Arena to Life

A great example of this came close to home: the multi-phase renovation of First Bank & Trust Arena at South Dakota State University. John and Dave worked together to revamp the entire sound system, which included over 30 full-range speakers from Fulcrum Acoustics and roughly 20 subwoofers to add depth.

But the project extended well beyond the main bowl. It also included locker rooms, weight rooms, concourses and even Bluetooth connectivity for athletes during practice. A touchscreen at the courtside lets players enter “practice mode,” which activates only certain speakers and allows them to stream music from their phones, all while built-in safeguards prevent damage to the system.

It’s the kind of thoughtful design that comes from experience and attention to detail.

Control, Protection and Smart Integration

One thing I found fascinating was how our audio systems protect themselves. Through programming and monitoring tools, the system can adjust for different factors, like humidity and temperature changes, automatically. This helps maintain consistent sound quality no matter where fans are seated.

We also use digital signal processing, touchscreen interfaces and rack-based control systems that integrate with a venue’s video equipment. Dave described how a sound system in “practice mode” can trigger a graphic overlay on a video board, and how we now use calibrated microphones to make crowd noise meters a real, functional part of the game-day experience.

What used to be faked is now fully integrated and interactive.

From Pro Stadiums to Local Schools

We also talked about other standout projects like Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium, which won recognition for having the best sound system in the SEC, and Maryland’s Xfinity Center, which integrates an advanced Dante audio network tied to their football and basketball venues.

At the same time, we continue to support schools and communities of all sizes. “We’ve worked with elementary schools, high schools and everyone in between,” John said. “It’s all about finding the right solution for the customer’s needs and budget.”

Starting the Conversation

If you're in charge of a venue and wondering about your current sound system, John has a simple question to ask yourself: “How does your system perform today?”

If the answer is anything short of “great,” it might be time to start a conversation.

Between our standard solutions and fully custom systems, our team can meet you wherever you are and help ensure that when your video says “Get Loud,” your fans not only hear it, but feel it.

To hear the full conversation with John and Dave, check out the episode titled “Providing a Complete Audio Experience” wherever you get your podcasts, or listen now at podcast.daktronics.com.