New amplifiers, line switches, racks, and user interfaces are now ensuring crisp audio and venue flexibility at Petco Park. Daktronics recently completed an audio control system upgrade with the San Diego Padres. The overall project makes it possible to route more than 430 audio channels to over 200 different destinations in the ballpark for the 2026 season.
[LED University: Daktronics Lights Up College Scoreboards]
“This upgrade represents a significant step forward in how we deliver the game experience at Petco Park, ensuring our fans can clearly hear and feel the energy from every seat,” said Erik Meyer, Padres VP of broadcasting and entertainment. “Through our partnership with Daktronics, we’ve implemented a best-in-class system that gives us precise directional and locational audio control so we can tailor sound throughout the ballpark. Our enhanced game presentation creates an engaging and memorable experience for everyone who walks through the gates.”
The project began with a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) upgrade with redundant Q-SYS enterprise servers from QSC. This open architecture platform allows for multi-channel, multi-destination audio processing and distribution. This upgrade includes multiple pieces of audio equipment and software preparations, including 80 in-bowl amplifiers; 15 back-of-house amplifiers; 26 NETGEAR AV line switches; fully-isolated analog backup system for all in-bowl amplifiers; Yamaha DM7-EX mixing console; 14 new control racks built on site, integrated with 12 existing racks; and 24 user interfaces.
Installation of new Dynacord IPX and IX amplifiers included more than 350 amplifier-speaker terminations to ensure everything was operational and fully functional.
“This project was a large undertaking that our team was able to complete in nine weeks, all while making sure the existing system was operational up until three weeks before the start of the season,” noted Doug Dodge, Daktronics audio field engineer. “We were able to fully install and complete the programming of the system in this short window with the entire audio team executing multiple phases both on- and off-site leading up to a successful first event.”
Daktronics in-house programming provided monitoring, control and alerts from all audio system components with custom plugins for interfacing with USP battery backups, amplifier room temp sensors, loudspeaker complex impedance and existing legacy audio hardware. The team also created 24 user interfaces to ensure control flexibility for the Padres and their team from touchscreen interfaces in clubs, restaurants and monitoring stations throughout the venue.
