When it comes to acoustics, designers and AV pros often complain about theaters, music venues and house of worship spaces, but if truth be told, sports facilities offer an enormous challenge to delivering clean intelligible audio to the fans. And with good reason, as venues such as basketball arenas, stadiums and hockey rinks just weren’t designed with wide bandwidth, high-SPL audio in mind.
Another part of the equation is that over the past decade or so, the fans’ “sports experience” has changed to the point where they now expect rock ‘n’ roll level playbacks as part of every game. The old “ring of horns on poles” approach to stadium sound just doesn’t cut it anymore — that may have been fine for college announcers in the 1960’s, but today, high-intelligibility, full-bandwidth audio — with plenty of punch — is all part of the game.
Meanwhile, sports facilities are amortized not only by the team games, but also every other style of event, so today, multi-use facilities are the norm. Here, the same high-SPL/high-fidelity approach is required, but the audio system must also be able to adapt to different seating arrangements and varying event requirement, making a zone-based approach a must in any installation design. If that wasn’t enough, integrators must also contend with competition from crowd noise (which can be substantial) along with outdoor systems that can face up to weather extremes ranging from sweltering summers to sub-arctic winters. It’s not easy, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, so selecting the right system for any particular installation is key to success.
With that in mind, we look into a 10 recent sports facility installation projects. Each of these venues are entirely different, not only in capacity, but also in system/venue criteria, yet all with successful outcomes that worked for all concerned — designers, integrators, teams, management — and most of all — the fans.
AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
Built in 2002 at a cost of $175 million, San Antonio’s AT&T Center recently underwent a $110 million complete arena revamp. Included in that price was a serious overhaul of the facility’s technical amenities, including a new HD main scoreboard, countless video displays and an L-Acoustics sound system package designed by WJHW (Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon & Williams) and installed by LD Systems — both Texas-based firms.
“The previous sound system had an exploded cluster design, and the integrated amplifiers in the loudspeaker cabinets made maintenance a challenge. In order to service them, the entire cluster had to be lowered to the floor,” says LD Systems’ Kevin Broussard. “Also, it did not adequately cover every seat in the house. The venue needed a system that could provide power and punch evenly to every seat.”
To achieve this, WJHW patterned the AT&T Center’s sound system topology after the L-Acoustics K2 system design used for Houston’s Toyota Center, home to the NBA Houston Rockets. However, this time an L-Acoustics’ Kudo system was spec’ed, which streamlined costs while maintaining performance characteristics.
In addition to NBA games, AT&T Center also hosts concert tours and the annual three-week San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. LD Systems has been the rodeo’s production services provider for years and members of the Spurs organization have heard the Toyota Center’s sound system at Houston Rockets games and during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. “So everyone at AT&T Center in San Antonio was very comfortable with the idea of an L-Acoustics solution,” says Broussard.
With support from the manufacturer’s U.S. application team, LD Systems flew and calibrated the new system, primarily comprised of 72 Kudo flown in six arrays of 12 enclosures plus 24 SB28 subs flown in six cardioid arrays of four enclosures and located directly behind the main arrays. Each main/sub array pair was flown using a custom rigging beam that reduces the main and sub arrays down to two hanging points. This “locks” the Kudos and SB28s together as single arrays, which can retract into the roof structure to accommodate touring events.
In addition to the Kudo and SB28 arrays, 15 L-Acoustics ARCS WiFo speaker arrays around the arena’s upper perimeter provide fills behind obstructions to the main arrays, while a dozen 12XTi coaxials on the underside of the scoreboard address the courtside and floor areas. A combination of 34 LA8 and four LA4X amplified controllers seamlessly power and process the entire system.
The ability to zone parts of the system offers control where sound is going in the room, to prevent unnecessary reflections when only portions of the venue are in use. The WJHW team also employed L-Acoustics Soundvision software to accurately product coverage throughout the venue. “The new version of Soundvision is fantastic and made the modeling of AT&T Center’s new system a breeze,” notes WJHW’s Scott Bray. “When walking the space and comparing the model to the final results, it was incredibly accurate. Consequently, the fans are now enjoying concert quality sound and levels throughout all the seating areas. The game experience has definitely been elevated, and it’s a party from start to finish.”
AT&T Center
- Capacity: 18,000+
- Key Components: L-Acoustics Kudo arrays; SB28 subs; ARCS WiFo upper fills; 12XTi courtside downfills
- Integrator: LD Systems
- Designer: WJHW
FSU Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, Tallahassee, FL
Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee has installed one of the largest Meyer Sound LEOPARD linear sound reinforcement systems to date in its 12,500-seat Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. Known to locals as “The Tuck,” the multipurpose arena serves as the home court for the FSU Seminoles men’s and women’s basketball teams and hosts a yearlong schedule of other sports, convocations, concerts, special events and graduations.
FSU officials found a solution to the poor performance of the outdated arena loudspeakers with the self-powered LEOPARD system. “The original proposal was for a conventionally powered loudspeaker system with multiple racks of power amplifiers,” says system designer Brian Smith of Florida-based Pro Sound & Video, which handed system integration. “But I was impressed with the uniformity of coverage and sonic detail that LEOPARD delivered in this arena environment. After looking at all cost impacts, we realized LEOPARD would offer superior performance and a more straightforward approach to integration than a conventionally powered system.”
The new system is deployed in six arrays of eight LEOPARD line array loudspeakers each, supplemented by four 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements. Two UPM-1XP loudspeakers each cover the four corner sections, and two UPQ-1P loudspeakers provide court coverage. A Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system with three Galileo Callisto 616 processors handles system drive and alignment.
In addition to speech reinforcement, LEOPARD is also used for music reproduction in applications ranging from high-impact break music at games to a brass ensemble at graduation. “A five-piece rap group performed for a special event at the opening of basketball season, and they spread out across the floor with wireless mics,” reports Jones, FSU’s sound engineer for the venue and a former touring FOH engineer for artists such as Counting Crows, Joe Cocker and Santana. “The rappers could hear themselves fine with no feedback problems, and the audience obviously enjoyed it.”
“Overall, there’s been a tremendous improvement in intelligibility,” adds Jones. “LEOPARD handles speech and music far better than the old system, by leaps and bounds. I’ve heard nothing but compliments from announcers, coaches, and officials at the scoring table. And after the last commencement, I was told the sound was the best it’s ever been.”
The Donald L. Tucker Civic Center
- Capacity: 12,500
- Key Components: Meyer Sound LEOPARD
- Integrator: Pro Sound & Video
- Designer: Brian Smith
St. Francis High School Gym, St. Francis, KS
Located on the Kansas-Colorado state line, St. Francis High School’s gymnasium handles district-wide sports tournaments, town meetings and local entertainment events.
“The school wanted a full sound system upgrade and they told us to ‘dream big,’” recalls Lucas Lafferty, owner of Colorado- and Kansas-based integrator DKAV. He put together a package with one Powersoft X4 amplifier, driving two EAW QX326 two-way loudspeakers and two EAW SB250z subs.
With its 40-foot domed ceiling and solid brick walls, “the room had many uncooperative reflective surfaces,” Lafferty says. “In the past, they tried using sound dampening without much success, so we avoided transmitting any sound towards the dome areas.” The speakers were suspended from the ceiling in two pairs, about 20-feet high at the north end of the space. With 120° by 60° dispersion, the sound covers the full gym without excessive bounceback. “We wanted the audio to reach the entire audience, and aimed the speakers at ear level as much as possible.”
Lafferty had no first-hand experience with Powersoft’s Armonia DSP software as the testing and room-tuning phases began. “Armonía was super-easy to use,” he explains. After implementing a simple crossover and some tuning EQ, he also used Armonía to place a hard limiter on the output to avoid any mishaps with overly curious students. “The speakers we chose have a very high output range and could go well above any conceivable use for that space, so we put a dead stop in place,” Lafferty explains.
The two Powersoft amps were situated in an upstairs restricted-access room, along with a Juice Goose remote power sequencer. “Before Armonía, we would have needed standalone EQs and compressors, but now everything is completely self-contained and easy to hide away,” Lafferty says. Housed in a portable case, the mixing board can plug into any of three separate tie-in locations on the gym floor, depending on any event’s floorplan. The system can be remotely powered on from the board.
“The sound is incredibly detailed and the simplicity of the system is second to none,” Lafferty adds. Since the install, the gymnasium has hosted concerts, weddings, town meetings and various athletic events, imbuing a true impact on the broader community. “They can do anything in that space now — it’s only limited to their imagination.”
St. Francis High School
- Capacity: 1,100
- Key Components: EAW QX326; EAW SB250z subs; Powersoft X4 amplification
- Integrator: DK Audio Video
- Designer: Lucas Lafferty
Wings Event Center, Kalamazoo, MI
In March, Wings Stadium, the home of the Kalamazoo Wings ECHL pro hockey team was renamed as the Wings Event Center, after a $2.8 million upgrade to the 75,000 square foot, 42 year old convention/entertainment complex. The plan not only was to heighten the fan experience, but to spotlight the venue’s ability to execute diverse events and entertainment.
Recent concerts at the facility included Umphrey’s McGee, comedian Gabriel Iglesias, country rockers Brett Eldredge and Lee Brice, the “I Love the 90s” tour with Salt N Pepa, Tone Loc and Soul Surfer Bethany Hamilton. The event center also played host to the 2016 U.S. Synchronized Ice Skating Championships and other events including the Kalamazoo Craft Beer Festival and Catalyst University annual leadership conference.
The old system was overworked and exhibited dead spots throughout the arena. The new sound system employs RCF’s IP-55 rated weatherproof P4228 speakers as part of the upgrade. Battle Creek-based Avtek worked with the RCF engineering team to design the ring of 12 clusters. “This is very similar to a design we did for the Coliseum in France,” notes RCF’s Michele Begotti. The system is comprised of 12 clusters of three RCF P4228 dual 8-inch two-way cabinets encircling the seating area of the stadium, along with dual 18-inch subwoofers mounted in the roof joists.
In selecting RCF for the installation, “we looked at quite a few solutions in the process of how to get great sound and fit the facility budget,” says Avtek owner Andrew Walker. “We chose RCF because of the intelligibility factor, the detail and presence of their sound.”
With Avtek and RCF providing the modeling, “we now reach each seat, it sounds much better and the increased clarity has been terrific. The audience is more aware and having a better time,” says the facility’s PR director, Joe Roberts.
Wings Event Center creative producer Scott Glickman — who has worked at several sports stadiums — added that the system fidelity is now crisp and intelligible. “Now you can hear all the different tones, the highs and lows, with clear, audible vocal announcements.” Yet the system is used for more than simple announcements. “The system is utilized constantly utilized during events,” he says. “For a hockey game, we are running music and sound effects 85 percent of the time. Intermissions, media time outs, warm-ups. We need to keep the crowd entertained and excited. The audio makes or breaks the event experience.”
Wings Event Center
- Capacity: 5,100/hockey; 8,000/concert
- Key Components: RCF P4228
- Integrator: Avtek
- Designer: Avtek
Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, Bozeman MT
Housed on the campus of Montana State University, the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse is home to the MSU Bobcats basketball team and competition for other sports, including track, high school volleyball tournaments, and even the occasional rodeo.
Now, with a new Bose Professional RoomMatch system, the 7,250-seat facility is even better equipped to host a wide range of additional events, conferences, receptions, concerts and trade expos. Systems integrator Black Box Design of Big Timber, Montana installed 28 RoomMatch array modules to match the room’s acoustical needs along with four RMS218 dual-18 subwoofers. The system power is via 15 PowerMatch PM8500N networked amplifiers.
Black Box Design’s Doug Brekke knows the Fieldhouse well — he received his BSEE from Montana State before starting his own AV business. He teamed up with Jay Bridgewater of Bridgewater Acoustics, the regional Bose dealer, to design the RoomMatch system for the space.
It was Brekke’s first RoomMatch installation, and he was impressed: “I’m delighted to be able to have line-array performance in an installed-system configuration — it’s the best of both worlds, in terms of performance for both music and speech intelligibility,” Brekke says. “The coverage we achieved was fantastic, on the floor and the seating areas. The RoomMatch system has great performance characteristics.”
Fieldhouse director Melanie Stocks agrees. “Before the new system was installed, the ways we could use the Fieldhouse were rather limited. We could do basketball games and track meets, and some music, but even those were subject to having less-than-pristine sound. But since the new system went in, it’s been wonderful. There are no more complaints about the sound; instead, there are compliments about it, including from the additional customers who rent the space. The old sound system was holding us back. The new Bose system has changed all that,” she explains.
The new system brought other plusses as well. “In addition to better sound, it’s also easier for us and our customers to use it — all of the controls are accessible through a Crestron LCD display. Our entire staff has been trained on it, and we no longer need to keep a tech on hand. The RoomMatch system has been the best thing to happen here for sound.”
Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
- Capacity: 7,250
- Key Components: Bose Room Match
- Integrator: Black Box Design
- Designer: Doug Brekke and Jay Bridgewater
PSU John Lance Arena, Pittsburg, KS
Built in 1971, the John Lance Arena at Pittsburg State University (PSU) in Kansas is home to the Pitt State Gorillas basketball team. The university recently renovated its 6,500-seat arena with wall-to-wall maple hardwood flooring on the main court new seating and a VUE Audiotechnik sound system designed and installed by Reliant Media Systems.
The new VUE sound system in the Lance Arena consists of four arrays and two zones of fill speakers. The two arrays that face the North and South sides of the arena each have four VUE al-4 subcompact line array systems and one al-4SB flying subwoofer system. Two arrays facing the East and West ends of the arena have six al-4s and one al-4SB. Set up in two zones, eight VUE i-8 full range foreground systems serve as fill speakers.
“The University has become very aggressive in updating and maintaining spotlight features around its campus. PSU’s athletic department was very interested in VUE after listening to it. We explained the difference between a line array and a typical distributed system. They were very much onboard with the line array approach,” says Reliant Media’s Zach Aaron.
“We demonstrated one-fourth of the complete system. The VUE system was set on the floor, and we explained how this would basically be one side of the four-sided scoreboard system. We listened on the VUE system, and then to their existing scoreboard system. The entire existing system wasn’t as impressive as one stack of VUE speakers on the floor,” explains Jeff Taylor of VUE Audiotechnik.
“The challenge was creating a system to serve a long multipurpose room,” continues Taylor. “A situation like a graduation — where you have folding seats on the floor plus people in the bleachers — requires very different reinforcement than a basketball or a volleyball game. Instead of creating a complex dual-system solution, this VUE rig allows the flexibility to position the basketball arena-style system for coverage of the floor seating as well. The i-8s cover the basketball court. So depending on whether they are in arena configuration or commencement configuration, the speakers are realigned (time-aligned) to provide voice reinforcement to the floor seating, and the arrays turn to the bleachers as they always did. This saves the University money because there’s no need to rent a P.A. system for their commencements.”
The al-4’s easy rigging system and lightweight load made for a smooth installation. “The old distributed system was suspended above the scoreboard using an antiquated steel sub-structure; we didn’t have a whole lot of options as far as rigging was concerned,” says Aaron. “We also had narrow weight constraints. We used the al-4 system to build North, South, East and West line arrays up above the scoreboard, four i-8s for the scoreboard fill and another four i-8’s for the mezzanine delay speakers.”
Another important element of the system is the Dante signal distribution that runs campus-wide through the existing facility IT infrastructure, adds Aaron. “There’s an Ethernet bridge in a mobile rack that can be taken out to the basketball arena floor, instantly connected to the Dante network for audio distribution, and provides wireless Ethernet control over the network with zero configuration.”
“We’ve received a good reaction from the new VUE system,” observes Aaron. “Everyone likes the full range and high energy. They like the way the sound of the announcer’s voice is more like the ‘Voice of God’ instead of like a transistor radio. And they also like having some bass for the music playback. With the athletic-themed music tracks they play, there’s a lot of shaking going on.”
John Lance Arena
- Capacity: 6,500
- Key Components: VUE Audiotechnik al-4 arrays; al-4SB subs
- Integrator: Reliant Media Systems
- Designer: Reliant Media Systems
Leicester Community Sports Arena, Leicester, U.K.
The new £4.5-million ($6.5 million), 2,400-seat Leicester Community Sports Arena — a joint venture project between Britain’s oldest pro basketball club (Leicester Riders), Leicester City Council and Leicester College — opened earlier this year. Local integrators MBSL spec’ed a system based on 12 15-inch CDD15 loudspeakers from Martin Audio’s new CDD (Coaxial Differential Dispersion) installation series.
Mark Broadhead of MBSL was brought in when it was discovered that the six 100V line speakers, specified by another party (possibly sufficient for voice) would not up to delivering American-style programming, complete with cheerleaders, in the arena on match days.
Broadhead, who has 30 years experience with Martin Audio products such as the workhorse F15’s, knew that the CDD would be reliable and offer excellent value for money. “We wanted a speaker that would provide even sound dispersion and work reliably — since it would be located eight meters up in the air. We didn’t want to be making service calls,” he explains. Broadhead was an early adopter of the CDD technology. “As soon as I heard the high output generated from the CDD15’s 15-inch coaxial driver, I was bowled over. It produces an impressive punch and delivers over a wide dynamic range. The clients were impressed.”
With the bulk of the crowd facing each other across the court, Broadhead quickly realized he could provide all the necessary coverage from just four CDD15s on each flank, despite the raucous and reverberant ambient noise produced by the crowd. In one corner at the two end stands angled back towards the seating, are two additional CDD15s, while from the other corners two CDD15s turn to fire into the court.
The system is optimized using the dedicated DX0.5 management system. Despite the fairly cavernous space, no EQ was necessary, and only the limiter needed to be set. In addition to basketball, the venue hosts a local badminton team and in the future hopes to stage banquets and weddings, so re-configurability of the soundscape were essential. The seating can be retracted electronically when the venue is used for other purposes, and since this is a zoned system, the two court-facing speakers can be disabled when not in use.
“The CDDs produce a nice, evenly-balanced sound throughout,” Broadhead adds. “We may invest in bass bins at a later stage, but there is already a decent amount of bass generated from the CDD15s up in the air. Everyone is extremely impressed. The clients are over the moon.”
Meanwhile, the originally specified 100V line horns have been redeployed for general PAVA and training purposes only, networked to the main Martin Audio sound reinforcement.
Leicester Community Sports Arena
- Capacity: 2,400
- Key Components: Martin Audio CCD Install Series
- Integrator: MBSL
- Designer: Mark Broadhead
Stade de la Source, Orléans, France
Home to the Union Sportive Orléans Loiret football club (US Orléans 45) — the stadium has evolved consistently since being built in 1976. Today, its capacity has been extended to 12,000. As part of an upgrade program, a new JBL sound system was commissioned and designed by French installation and rental specialists, Melpomen.
Late last year, Melpomen encountered JBL’s new EN54-24-compliant All Weather series on a visit to the stand of Harman Pro’s French distributors SCV Audio, at the JTSE trade show in Paris. Realizing that EN54-24 compliance was central to the specification, they had no qualms about specifying them.
SCV provided the necessary technical support with SCV Audio’s Laurent Delenclos handling all modeling and predictions using EASE software.
“We have widespread experience of this type of stadium installation and with JBL’s All Weather range we have discovered a tailored range of speakers offering choices of directivity, says Sylvain Brottes, Melpomen’s project manager. “It complies with the standard EN54-24 and fully meets all requirements for quality and technical specification.”
Distributed evenly across the three stands are 24 of the AW595-LS fiberglass enclosures. Each two-way, high-power loudspeaker houses JBL Differential Drive 15-inch woofer and a 3-inch HF compression driver, with a large-format rotatable waveguide ensuring a homogeneous and coherent 90 x 50 degree coverage pattern to spectators.
Delenclos believes that with its EN54-24 certification, the AW series provided the logical solution. “It met the dispersion specification required to achieve coherent coverage while conforming to budget considerations,” he notes. “It was perfect for this stadium installation.”
Although SCV Audio and Melpomen have enjoyed a long relationship, this was the installers’ first collaboration with JBL, Delenclos says. “This is largely due to the fact that JBL is now proposing further EN54-24 compliant products fully adapted to this market, with no compromise on quality or performances.”
Stade de la Source
- Capacity: 12,000
- Key Components: JBL All Weather Series AW595-LS
- Integrator: Melpomen
- Designer: Melpomen
Independence Stadium, Shreveport, LA
The appropriately named Independence Bowl has been played every year since 1976 (the United State’s Bicentennial) and is a much-anticipated staple of the end-of-year bowl season. Independence Stadium in Shreveport, LA hosts the contest, which pits two AAC conference favorites. The stadium holds 63,000 fans and is routinely packed to capacity on the big day. The stadium’s owners ripped out the sound system in anticipation of the 2015 game, and YESCO Electronics replaced it with two Danley Jericho Horns, a Danley BC-415 subwoofer, and several Danley SH-96 loudspeakers for fill.
“We replaced their old scoreboard with new state-of-the-art scoreboard technology, and the twenty-year-old sound system had to go with it,” explains YESCO A/V systems engineer Marty Masewicz. “As Shreveport is so close to Louisiana State University, almost everyone we worked with had been to a game at LSU Tiger Stadium and heard LSU’s amazing new Danley system. Because of that, everyone knew that a Danley point-source system could deliver the volume, clarity, and impact that was needed for a modern stadium experience.
“Just three Danley Jericho Horns can produce the output of many, many line array boxes, which simplifies the design and improves the frequency response and phase coherence,” he continues. “The Jerichos are really powerful; they can kick out 135 dB and move a pop can 100 yards away. That’s a lot of energy. That’s perfect for a situation like this, where we’ve got 63,000 loud and excited fans. Everyone has to be able to hear the announcements clearly, and the impact of the music helps elevate the live stadium experience far above anything they could experience in their living rooms.”
Two Danley Jericho Horns arranged on either side of the new scoreboard to cover each side of the stadium. A handful of Danley SH-96 full-range loudspeakers provide down-fill directly below and to the sides of the scoreboard. Although the Jericho Horn (J1 variant) produces ample bass, an additional Danley BC-415 sub fills out the lowest lows to give the system earthshaking capabilities. A Danley DSLP48 processor applies the necessary filters and equalization behind an existing Biamp processor for input conditioning and mixing. Seven Danley EDA12000 two-channel amplifiers power the system.
“Independence Stadium’s new system was easy to install and sounds fantastic,” says Masewicz. “All the engineering is done by Danley. We didn’t need to figure out and aim a bunch of line array components, which is way more complicated and time consuming. Even before we properly tuned the system, the stadium officials were grinning ear to ear as AC-DC filled the stands! It’s a simple and effective system, but it made us look like miracle workers.”
Independence Stadium
- Capacity: 6,300
- Key Components: Danley Jericho Horns and BC-415 subwoofer
- Integrator: YESCO Electronics
- Designer: Marty Masewicz
Marv Kay Stadium, Golden, CO
Football at Colorado School of Mines is a tradition dating back to 1893, allowing the school to boast of the “oldest football field west of the Mississippi.” Last fall, CSM celebrated the opening of its new, 5,300-seat Marv Kay stadium with a large press box and VIP suites and a new sound system with Community R-Series loudspeakers.
Tom Falgien of WJHW designed the system. The school wanted even coverage for the field and for both home and visitors seating with high voice intelligibility and ample level to overcome crowd noise, with high musical sound quality to enhance the fan experience.
To achieve these goals and meet the school’s budget, Falgien chose a point-source design using three Community R6-51 loudspeakers located inside of the scoreboard at the end of the field. He says “a scoreboard system offers both good value and performance for this type of project.” The three R6-51 loudspeakers provide good coverage of all areas along with plenty of level and extended low-frequency response for team music and half-time shows. Falgien added that he appreciates the R6-51’s presence peak, which enhances voice intelligibility.
Crown amplifiers power the rig with BSS London DSP; an Allen & Heath Qu-16 console, Shure announce mics and Lectrosonics wireless referees round out the system. Community D6 ceiling loudspeakers are installed in the suites and press box.
Integrator AVI-SPL installed the stadium’s audio system. Project engineer Michael Bobela noted the system “fills the whole valley from three speakers.” Falgien added that the school is thrilled with the new stadium and they expect it to enhance recruiting success.
Marv Kay Stadium
- Capacity: 5,300
- Key Components: Community R-Series; Crown amps; A&H Qu-16 console
- Integrator: AVI-SPL
- Designer: Tom Falgien
