AVI-SPL Equips Yankees' Spring Home
George W. Steinbrenner Field, the spring home of the New York Yankees, has undergone a $40m renovation that includes a new Eastern Acoustic Work’s (EAW) distributed loudspeaker system designed by Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon & Williams (WJHW) and installed by AVI-SPL.
“EAW MK Series loudspeakers were a terrific solution for this project,” explained Jeremy Thomas, CTS, account manager AVI-SPL. “Our primary concern was vocal intelligibility and the MK Series offers not only the clarity we required, but also a variety of horn patterns that allowed us to provide clean, even coverage throughout the stadium.”
The renovation included expanded stadium seating as well as a wrap-around concourse with plenty of social areas, outdoor bars and clean views of the field. The new distributed system was made up of 54 outdoor- rated MK loudspeakers – an assortment of MK2391, MK2391i and MK5399 – painted white and bracket-mounted under balcony areas, on walls and on poles throughout the concourse with particular attention paid to the new outdoor bar areas. The new loudspeakers work in conjunction with the existing system that covers the main stands that run from 1st to third base.
“The point source coverage is excellent, allowing us to cover exactly what we needed to cover,” added Jeremy. “It works seamlessly with the existing system to provide Yankee fans with a far superior game-day experience than they had before.“
Selhurst Park: In Progress
Crystal Palace football club can implement its plans to increase Selhurst Park by over 8,000 additional seats.
On the 19 April 2018 the council’s planning committee agreed to the £100m stadium redevelopment that includes a new five-storey structure in place of the current main stand.
This extension – inspired by the original Crystal Palace – will hold 13,500 fans, hospitality and entertainment areas. The project will start at the end of next season and is expected to be ready by the start of the 2020-21 season.
The Premier League club will be in charge of re-housing residents of six homes that are due to be demolished as part of the work. Also Palace must commit to strengthen travel arrangements for supporters.
Before the vote the council had invited residents to give their feedback on the project and received more than 4,000 responses supporting the proposals. This number is contrasted with 84 objectors listening concerns about traffic congestion, overcrowding and the modern structure’s suitability to the neighbourhood.
Original article: https://bit.ly/2HT2hbO
Read more about Crystal Palace's extension plans in the recent issue of mondo*stadia.
Clair Solutions Takes to Orlando City Stadium
Evago Group Partners Terraplas
Evago Group has become the world’s exclusive rental partner for all Terraplas turf protection products since taking over the American rentals branch for Terraplas USA.
German event supply and industrial services company Evago Group and the Anglo-American Checkers Safety Group, who purchased Terraplas in 2015, have agreed a long-term partnership for Terraplas rentals internationally. Having acquired Mojo Barriers in 2017, Evago then bought the UK Terraplas rental business, and immediately fulfilled demand for the specialist stadium pitch protection for concerts. This new deal will see the Terraplas range be available throughout the Evago Group and Mojo’s trusted global network.
With over 27 years of experience in the quality turf protection market, Terraplas has unrivalled experience and leadership in the business of temporary flooring for stadiums and arenas hosting concerts and other non-grass events. The partnership Terraplas USA, part of the Checkers Safety Group, means Evago companies (Mojo Barriers, BÜMO, IEP) have an expanded ground protection rental portfolio of stock exceeding 400,000 m².
Goran Marincic, CEO, Evago AG stated: “Terraplas products are unique in the market and complement our existing product portfolio perfectly. They have become highly trusted to protect valuable stadium turf and sport pitches from heavy vehicles to pedestrians. With this acquisition we significantly strengthen our position in global events, adding significant synergy with our existing brands and companies. Our goal now is to very quickly increase the rental stock of pitch protection with additional new material in order to be able to respond immediately to customer requirements.”
Robert Else, Chairman of Terraplas, commented: “In our partnership with the EVAGO Group, we are pleased to further consolidate and expand the market leadership of the Terraplas brand worldwide.”
AJA RovoCam Boosts A&M Basketball
Texas A&M basketball fans are getting a fresh perspective of each game this season, courtesy of five new AJA RovoCam UltraHD/HD HDBaseT cameras installed throughout Reed Arena.
From high stakes shots to 3-pointers, alley-oops and memorable crowd choreography, the compact block cameras capture all of the in-stadium action, which is displayed on a 54’ x 24’ video board, one of the largest among NCAA Division 1 schools. 12th Man Productions, the university’s athletics video production arm, is responsible for both the live video board broadcast and a live stream of each game to a popular sports network’s digital app.
Led by Director of Broadcast Technology Jesse Janosky, 12th Man Productions initially explored a few camera options to boost in-game content for fans on its new video board. Based on initial research, the team opted to test a RovoCam during the regional baseball championships. “We quickly found that RovoCam offered the high-end camera quality we were looking for at a fraction of the usual price,” shared Janosky. “We were able to use our initial budget to get five RovoCams and RovoRx-SDI receivers for the cost of another single camera we were looking at. RovoCam gives us a huge bang for our buck, because we can bring fans a broader range of viewing angles.”
The RovoCams are strategically located under the tip-off, under the video board, on top of each basket, and on top of the production booth in Reed Arena. Each camera captures 1080i 5994 from the UltraHD high resolution sensor, and all are mounted to robotic heads, except the tip-off camera. Footage is sent to a PC running VISCA-based command control software in the production booth, where a team member controls the camera moves. Zoom controls are used for close-ups on players, plays and the crowds, while Iris controls adjust light for shots with shadows.
RovoRx-SDIs receive the RovoCam signals over category cable and the SDI outputs are then converted to fiber and sent two miles away to a control room. They are run through an Evertz EQX video router for electrical conversion and sent back to the stadium and/or a broadcast truck, and are recorded for replays, in-game highlight melts or marketing materials. For editing post-game, the team uses Avid Media Composer bays housing AJA KONA desktop I/O cards. AJA Distribution Amplifiers are also tapped for a replay system.
The simplicity provided by the RovoCam and RovoRX HDBaseT ecosystem has proven a huge boon to the production team, ensuring key shots aren’t missed. “RovoCam gives us the flexibility to accomplish the work of multiple camera operators with one employee in real-time – it’s been a game changer. We can capture the in-game experience on the fly without worrying about missing something because of the placement of a camera operator,” concluded Janosky.
Focusrite Assists ATK Audiotek
ATK Audiotek deploys an expanded RedNet network at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium for the live music performances at this year’s Super Bowl event, linking field PA speakers, monitor speakers, wireless microphones and in-ear monitors for Pink’s Star-Spangled Banner, Justin Timberlake’s halftime set and more
The sound was held together through an extensive Dante networked audio infrastructure featuring components from Focusrite’s RedNet range of Dante-networked audio converters and interfaces. The system, which was also used for Pink’s “Star-Spangled Banner” performance and other moments throughout the evening, was deployed by ATK Audiotek, the longtime provider of the Super Bowl’s live-sound productions.
The system this year consisted of a total of 48 RedNet units in all, and it was the second consecutive year that ATK Audiotek has employed RedNet components. It was larger than last year’s RedNet system because ATK Audiotek networked the entire live-sound system in the bowl this year, including cart-mounted field PA speakers that are wheeled into place for the performances, wireless microphones, wedge monitor speakers used for the pre-game events such as the national anthem, and IEM monitors used by Timberlake and other onstage performers. It was a big system, but RedNet handled it with ease.
“The flexibility that we had with the RedNet system was incredible,” says Kirk Powell, ATK’s engineer in charge. “We were able to send any signal anywhere in the venue, because we were no longer restricted by where we had cables going. Once we had the network infrastructure in place, all we had to do if we need a microphone somewhere was just plug it into the network, and RedNet did the rest.
“We didn’t have to have a number of A-to-D and D-to-A conversions in the system, which made the entire process smooth,” he explained. “RedNet definitely helped reduce the amount of space we needed for everything, which was important in the smaller stadium and at an event where we were adding more elements onto the system than we had last year, like the wireless mics and monitors,” he added. “RedNet helped make a more complicated project simpler, and the value of that is enormous when you’re doing an event like the Super Bowl.”
Community Loudspeaker Boosts Śląski Stadium
Poland’s most famous stadium, Śląski Stadium (Silesian Stadium) in Chorzów, has undergone a complete rebuild to become one of the most modern football and sporting facilities in Europe.
The original stadium, opened in 1956, was a symbol of Poland's post-war rebirth. It has held some of football’s most important and memorable matches, played by legends of the sport including Johan Cruyff, George Best and Cristiano Ronaldo. It has also hosted massive concerts by bands like U2, AC/DC, Iron Maiden and The Rolling Stones. In 1993 the stadium became the official home of the Polish national football team.
The rebuild of Śląski Stadium has been a long and sometimes difficult project. Started in 2009, the new 43,000 square metre roof proved the biggest hurdle and its partial collapse during construction lead to long delays and a re-design. Despite the problems and additional costs, the national importance of the venue ensured the project would succeed and it was finally completed in late 2017.
In addition to the new roof, the modernisation has included new stands, lighting, video screens and sound systems. Other facilities include a restaurant, food vendors and VIP boxes, and the stadium’s original speedway track has been replaced with a traditional track that allows it to host international athletic events.
An initial system design was put together by Dr. Piotr Kozłowski of Wrocław-based Acoustic Laboratory Pracownia Akustyczna, who subsequently approached Polish distributor Tommex to begin the process of equipment selection. Local company NOMA2 was brought in to carry out the detailed installation work under the guidance of its manager, Janusz Konopka.
Measurements determined the specification, which included an STIPA speech intelligibility of not less than 0.45 in an empty stadium. With a bandwidth of 60Hz to 16kHz, the system was required to deliver 105dB at the stands and 95dB on the playing field, each exceeding the estimated level of the fans by 10dB.
Meeting the design criteria required loudspeakers that would not only match or exceed the acoustic specification, but also handle the severe weather conditions. Śląski Stadium is an all-year venue so the sound system had to meet IP55 and, above all, the loudspeaker enclosures and fittings had to withstand the conditions of the severe Polish winter. Tommex chose Community loudspeakers, having already proven their acoustic performance and all-weather reliability in numerous Polish stadia. With well-controlled dispersion, the Community loudspeakers selected by Tommex exceeded specification and achieved an average level at the stands of 108dB.
The system designed by Tommex is based around Dynacord electronics and Community loudspeakers. The main system for the spectator stands is divided into eight zones and utilises one hundred nineteen Community R2-52Z three-way loudspeakers, supplemented by forty R6-BASSHORN. The raked seating of Śląski Stadium creates theatre-style balcony overhangs and the under balcony seating and walkway areas are covered by sixty-one Community W2-2W8 loudspeakers. The playing field is covered by four powerful three-way R2-694Z loudspeakers.
System management is located in the commentator room in the eastern stand. This is where a Yamaha CL1 digital mixer, Dynacord P64 matrix and Dante to MADI converters are located, MADI being the format for transmission of audio between the Yamaha CL1 and OB vans when providing signals for television or radio. Using the Dante protocol, the audio signal is distributed by two redundant optical fibre cables with a third optical fibre used for communication of the IRIS-Net network. System amplification includes forty two-channel Dynacord DSA 8209 amplifiers and forty-seven four-channel DSA 8410 amplifiers.
A PC provides full control and system management via the IRIS-Net network. The system includes both wired and wireless microphone systems, with feedback eliminators. Zone microphones are additionally equipped with automatic regulators that adjust the signal level according to the background noise level and a Dynacord Promatrix microphone zone panel allows PA messages to be made by the stadium’s safety and security staff. CD, MP3, USB and SSD players are also provided.
In addition to the main stadium systems, eighty Community loudspeakers are installed on pillars that surround the stadium. Forty R.25-94Z loudspeakers are directed to the gallery, which surrounds the walls of the stadium and forty ENT-FR high performance column line source loudspeakers cover the area between the stadium and the venue’s perimeter fence and entrance gates. Indoor rooms and public areas of the stadium building are covered by one-hundred eight Community I/O8 and eighty-eight DS8 wall-mounted loudspeakers.
All of the sound systems at Śląski Stadium are fully integrated with the audio warning system, which, if necessary, can take full priority and use the sound system for more efficient crowd control and evacuation of fans in the event of an emergency.
Marcin Zimny, the Commercial Director of Tommex, commented: “We are very pleased with the sound system at Śląski Stadium. With built-in reliability, it provides high intelligibility speech, great music quality and consistent coverage for this prominent international venue. It’s also a system of which we can be proud, being the largest sound system installed in any sports facility in Poland.”
He added: “It was a pleasure to work with Dr. Piotr Kozlowski and Pacownika Akustyczna and the installation company NOMA2, all high profile specialists in their fields.”
The Polish national football team will return to Śląski Stadium on March 27 2018, to enjoy the modern infrastructure and facilities that now make it one of the most modern football venues in Europe.