Wilderness at the Smokies, Tennessee’s largest waterpark resort, recently completed a major renovation to their outdoor waterpark that included the addition of a 750-foot lazy river, splash pad, cabanas, new bar and restaurant to the existing three water slides and 12,000 square-foot wave pool. At the same time, Lake Wilderness Outdoor Waterpark received a new One Systems, direct weather sound reinforcement system that upgraded the guest’s entertainment experience.
The park owners contacted M&M Productions USA, headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to design and install a new distributed sound reinforcement system that handle their needs now and in the future.
“When we took on the project we knew we needed to start from scratch with loudspeakers that withstand the weather as well as control the sound, keeping it on the entertainment areas yet away from guest rooms,” explained Mike Brown, president and CEO of M&M Productions USA. “There was no question in my mind that we were going to use One Systems Direct Weather loudspeakers for this project. We have had tremendous results with them in the past. Not only do they have a rugged design that can withstand the rigours of the weather, but they sound great, which was another requirement the owners had of the system.”
Mike and M&M project manager Tim Scobee worked with the One Systems design team to create zoned systems that addressed the owner’s requirements, while resolving inconsistent coverage, poor vocal intelligibility and lack of volume control in different park areas. Ultimately the group created an eight-zone system made up of a combination of One Systems Hybrid loudspeakers and subwoofers.
“Zones allow volume levels to be adjusted individually,” added Mike. “The park also sometimes brings in live entertainment. This way they can fire their system up and the park can turn that zone down. We also took great care to ensure that none of the zones overlap or compete with other areas.”
The Cataloochee Creek Adventure was divided into two zones – east and west – each equipped with a distributed system made up of 30 106/HTH loudspeakers. Because the lazy river winds around the edge of the park, there are speakers located close to the guest quarters. Fortunately, the design of the 106/HTH features a wide coverage pattern of 110 degrees by 70 degrees, and a low Q pattern ideal for short throw applications. This allowed the sound to be focused on the river and away from the nearby rooms, keeping everyone happy.
The Washout Wilderness Rapids is a 12,000 square-foot wave pool capable of generating waves up to five feet tall. Multiple 108/HTH loudspeakers are mounted on nearby poles, firing down on the pool along with a One Systems 112IM-SUB subwoofer for additional low end.
Another zone manages the Lake Wilderness Cabanas and the Cabana Forest which consists of 24 family-sized and one large group-sized climate-controlled cabanas on the outer fringes of the wave pool beach. Each cabana is equipped with its own 106/HTH loudspeaker with an individual volume control panel for guest use.
The new splash pad and Billy Jack’s Snack Shack are in close proximity, making it easy for two zones to cover both areas. Most of the splash pad is served by a zone made up with eight 106/HTH loudspeakers. The zone for Billy Jack’s, which utilises two 108/HTH loudspeakers to blanket the inside and outside of the restaurant, also covers portions of the splash pad.
Across the water park from Billy Jack’s lies Blue Gill’s Cove Snack Bar, where a pair of 106/HTH loudspeakers provide even coverage for the snack bar and the dining area. The last zone – made up of additional 108/HTH loudspeakers and 112IM-SU subwoofer – is for a large swimming pool area that draws guests from all over the resort.
When Mike and his team fired up the new system the resort management was amazed with the full range sound, fidelity and intelligibility.
“In the past when they put a mic into the system to make announcements no one could understand anything,” Mike concluded. “Now the water park has the cleanest system they have ever experienced and no concerns about the durability of their investment. One Systems Direct Weather loudspeakers consistently impress with their sound quality and weather resistance. The park should be set for years to come.”
