SOLUTIONS: VICARAGE ROAD, WATFORD
Lab.gruppen PLM Powered Loudspeaker Management systems drive both the high-power circuits into the stadium bowl and the 100V line circuits in the concourse and corridors
Because of the shape of the stands, and to get the throw to the back of the seating areas, the D.A.S. clusters were split into two hangs for the Vicarage Road and North Stand, while the Rouse Stand required double hangs. Rigging is predominantly D.A.S.’s own, although E-Mech has added some additional steels. When it came to deciding
how to control and power this extensive loudspeaker installation, Hemming opted for a familiar configuration that utilised the individual capability and compatibility elements of Peavey MediaMatrix NION n6 and PLM Series,
Lab.gruppen’s flagship Powered Loudspeaker Management platform. Designing the system
Four D.A.S. BiDriver Plus coaxial horn speakers assist with speech intelligibility
around the MediaMatrix NIONs provided the benefit and security of being able to implement a networked dual
redundant ring configuration – eliminating audio network downtime caused by a single point of failure. This was critical to the system’s fulfilment of dual roles as both standard PA (such as background music and commentary) and voice alarm (emergencies, evacuation messages). Among other notable benefits, the deployment of PLM Series meant the new system could be designed around Dante – viewed increasingly as the new de-factolow-latency digital audio network protocol – given that the PLM Series is fully capable on this front.
DUAL ROLES “We’re driving all of the circuits,” says Hemming. “A number of 100V line circuits for all the concourse and corridors; and high-power circuits into the bowl, with very high SPL levels to cover those areas. The reason we like
Lab.gruppen PLM Series is that they can do both. “We’re using the custom
software that allows us to view, monitor and control the PLMs from within the NIONs, so it makes integration very easy. We have a nice touchscreen display that shows us all of the 20 zones, and Dante allows us to use one system for monitoring and control. There are no latency issues, no issues with bundles that you might have with Cobranet, and all in all, it’s a very simple network.” There are two rack
positions, one in the North and one in the South connected in a dual redundant fibre optic loop. Around 12km of fireproof cable connects to the loudspeakers. “The PLMs have all of the
processing built into them, so there’s a lot less programming involved in the set-up,” Hemming continues. “We’re using the NIONs very simply to provide inputs, routing and control, but all of the loudspeaker tuning is done by the PLMs, so it’s an ideal solution for the stadium.”
“The other reason for PLMs is that they distribute the processing, so if we do have any failures within the NIONs, the D.A.S. loudspeakers will still sound optimal. We’re using both two- and four- channel amps, and they are compact, so the entire thing fits into two racks. The initial cost may be slightly higher when compared with other amplifier platforms in the same power bracket; however, due to the PLM’s Universal Power Supply and
54 October 2012
[ABOUT THE INSTALLER]
E-Mech Entertainment Engineering is a design and installation consultancy providing specialist services to the entertainment industry
Based in East Sussex, UK, the company works closely with a network of consultants to keep on top of the latest advancements in audio, lighting, video, projection, staging, show control and more
The company also produces a range of its own audio and digital products for interfacing or switching/ routing, mechanical designs for speaker brackets and rigging components
E-Mech now offers an inspection and consultancy service to advise on standards and compliance
the relatively low current draw, overall cost of ownership is significantly lower. In terms of total cost of installation and ownership, PLM Series is actually a very compelling amplifier to use for voice alarm applications." The new system is compliant with the latest British standards BS5839 part 8 and BS7827, a code of practice for designing, specifying, maintaining and operating emergency sound systems at sports venues. It is the first system to be signed off against the latest revision of BS7827, launched in September 2011.
Hemming concludes: “The
entire system has provided a significant improvement on what was there previously. It’s a nice stadium system that is both adaptable in terms of usability and also very cost effective. The combination of the MediaMatrix NIONs integrating with the
Lab.gruppen amplifiers via Dante works very well, and the clarity and definition of the D.A.S. loudspeakers gives us an exemplary system. In many ways, such as pounds per decibel, this whole system is amazingly good value.”
www.apart-audio.com www.dasaudio.com www.eade.uk.com www.labgruppen.com www.mm.peavey.com www.rhconsulting.com www.sennheiser.co.uk
www.installation-international.com
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