The latest attraction by Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, located in Round Rock, TX and featuring a 223,000-square-foot indoor water park, has been equipped with a range of Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers by Conference Technologies, which served as the integration firm on the project.
In addition to water parks, the Kalahari venues at several sites in the U.S. also offer meeting and events facilities. The organization is noted for tying all these uses together through a unified experience via curation of custom artwork from African artisans, music sourced from across Africa, and quality technology and entertainment.
“Every Kalahari location is unique,” says Rebecca Fuchs, Senior Design Consultant with Conference Technologies, which has more than 20 offices in the U.S. “Kalahari has made it a point to create an authentic and impressive experience at every location within a resort. That includes everything from the art and souvenirs, to the water temperature, to the AV they use.”
Multiple Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers are deployed in the water park, many of them equipped with the company’s proprietary digitally steerable technology. Loudspeakers include two IC Live F-DUAL-RD arrays, seven ICONYX IC8-RDO arrays, and four ICONYX IC16-RDO arrays, as well as two ICL-F-215S-RN subs and eight P3-64 loudspeakers with the company’s Complex Conic technology. All loudspeakers are weather resistant to withstand humidity within the park.
“Inside the water park you have high ceilings, high volumes of people in the space, and you’re trying to cover an extremely large area,” Fuchs notes. “The ask here is that you have music and sound that is not just fun but creates an element of emotion and excitement. You need to connect with it. And to do that, you need it to be intelligible. It can’t just be really loud sound coming out of the speaker. It has to be strategic. So, we turned to Renkus-Heinz.
“When you turn it on and hear it, you find yourself incredibly impressed by the clarity and quality Renkus-Heinz provides,” she continues. “We’ve integrated a 27-by-36 foot video wall in one area that overlooks the wave pool. The plan is to utilize the great sound in conjunction with a vast library of music videos and custom Kalahari content. The Renkus-Heinz speakers are going to make for a very impressive experience.”
Renkus-Heinz loudspeakers are also integrated in an on-site bowling alley and a family fun center. The bowling alley has two TX82 two-way, Complex Conic loudspeakers and two TX112S high performance subs, while fun center has 13 ICONYX IC8-RDO arrays.
Renkus-Heinz provided on-site commissioning of the arrays to help ensure more precise placement of the digitally steered beams. “The moment the system commissioning was complete it sounded just absolutely incredible,” Fuchs concludes. “We talk about how Kalahari wants to create an experience. The reality is a well-crafted experience creates memories. And Renkus-Heinz is providing the sound that will make a lot of memories.”
