FEATURE: STADIUM AUDIO
In the US, the William D Mullins Memorial Center Arena, a hockey and basketball arena at the University of Massachusetts is a recent ‘all- QSC’ Q-Sys installation: that is, two Core 250i processors process and route audio to and from 22 QSC PowerLight3 PL340 amps
fixed installations: the PI and fibreglass versions combine weather resistance with excellent acoustics”. Meanwhile, a recent installation of the EV XLD compact line arrays at the Friends Arena in Sweden [see Solutions page 55] has highlighted these units’ ability to “guarantee excellent acoustic performance out of a compact format”.
2. AMPLIFIER POWER AND SIZE
With its install-oriented Q, M and Duecanali power amplifier ranges, Powersoft is able to accommodate a host of venue types and requirements. It also offers the mid-to-large venue- suiting Ottocanali Series of eight-channel devices delivering a maximum of 12,000W at 4 ohms – a product line that was recently expanded with three new models (Ottocanali 4K4, Ottocanali 8K4 and
Ottocanali 12K4), launched to the trade at ISE 2013. Class D topologies have
played an important role in the success of Powersoft and many other manufacturers. The need for high output is a given in stadiums, but Giorgi highlights several other factors – accommodated in Powersoft system design – that he feels will become increasingly important to venues of this nature. Historically, power consumption “has always been considered a minor factor because the duty cycle of use of the amplifiers in a stadium was not as intense as in other types of installation”. But hosting more events of different kinds is altering the picture: “As the use of the venues is
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changing to make them more profitable, so this element will also grow in terms of importance.” In tandem with this, there
is a recognition that systems need to be environmentally sensitive. Sahm remarks: “High-efficiency power amplifiers with intelligent remote control options are an emerging requirement for stadium-friendly systems as well as establishing green technology in these projects, reducing the carbon footprint and optimising total cost of ownership.” The impulse to deliver a compact, space-efficient installation will also exert a greater influence, suggests Giorgi. “The physical size of the amplifiers could appear to be a minor issue, but in the future it will open the possibility of reducing the size of the equipment room or even installing the amplifiers in a more distributed way in order to reduce the length and the size of the cables.”
3. EASE OF INTEGRATION With stadiums deploying increasingly sophisticated audio distribution to boost flexibility, and the standards- backed Audio/Video Bridging (AVB) ‘movement’ looming on the near-horizon, it’s to be expected that ease of integration with existing and future systems continues to ascend the priority list. “It’s very important to include features to make it easier for systems integrators to use our products,” says Giorgi, adding that Powersoft already delivers a feature set that eases “integration with main control systems. In addition, we have added multichannel models to cope with specific
lot of options for using QSC equipment. “Certainly,” observes
‘It’s very
important to include features to make it easier for systems integrators to use our
products’ Luca Giorgi, Powersoft
granularity and are going to add audio distribution cards supporting Dante [Audinate’s media networking technology] and AVB that will complete the scenario.” Over at QSC, Kalarchik
believes the manufacturer has proven more than ready for today’s mix-and-match philosophy. “We’re fortunate in that there are various ways in which our products can be used in stadiums,” he says. “So our speakers, amplifiers and Q-Sys Integrated Audio Management Platform can be used individually, together or in conjunction with speakers and amplifiers from other manufacturers. This gives our distributors and the retailers and integrators they work with a
Kalarchik, “the pairing of Q-Sys and CX amplifiers is common in many stadium installs. The ability of Q-Sys to process up to 512 inputs by 512 outputs and to fully integrate amplifier control and monitoring gives the operator the capability to interface the system from a single control screen.” The ability to deliver audio
over an existing stadium infrastructure – as opposed to requiring the installation of new systems or cabling – is also an important asset. Noting that the platform has been developed “to integrate as easily as possible into existing stadium infrastructures”, Kalarchik highlights Q-Sys’ ability to “coexist with video, point of sale, IPTV, VoIP, building access, signage and other network data since it uses standard Layer 3 protocols”.
4. CUSTOMISATION With stadium projects often involving many hundreds of loudspeakers and rack upon rack of amplifiers and processors, it is logical that some venues should go down the customisation route to obtain a solution that precisely matches their requirements. EAW is among those ready to assist. “Stadium projects are of a
scale that custom solutions become a cost-effective option,” says Rocha. What’s more, they can have benefits that transcend their audio duties. By way of example, Rocha alludes to “an inwardly- curved, 360º line source that encircles the lower portion of the mezzanine at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles. The
design places low-profile, multi-transducer, down-angled modules end-to-end with almost no gaps all the way around the stadium. In addition to providing high-quality audio, the WP weather-protected enclosures act as rain gutters, channelling runoff into the stadium’s drainage system.”
BOOMING BUSINESS With manufacturers variously reporting recent stadium projects in the US, Romania, Ukraine, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and many other countries besides, it’s evident that stadium business isn’t in decline. A recent cluster of fit-outs aimed at ensuring their facilities are on a par with those elsewhere in Europe has rendered Eastern Europe especially dynamic of late. However, there is a general consensus that growth has been most dramatic in Asia- Pacific, with Rocha not alone in remarking that “we’re seeing a lot of activity in Asia right now”. Wherever the project may be, the requirements – for power, efficiency, flexibility and reliability – tend to be fairly uniform. Given that these expectations have pretty much informed the entirety of pro-audio design over the last few years, it’s unlikely that manufacturers will be found wanting as this install segment continues to flourish.
www.audinate.com www.boschsecurity.com www.dynacord.com www.eaw.com www.electrovoice.com www.powersoft-audio.com www.qscaudio.com www.toa.eu
www.installation-international.com
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