STADIAWORLD | SPORTS VENUES 2018/19

84    |   SPORTS VENUES 2018/19 www.stadiaworld.com TECH REPORT A s major event locations, both open-air stadiums and indoor arenas consistently represent a challenge for sound planners, because the hard reflective surfaces of walls, floors and ceilings make for long reverberation times. Among the prescribed values are those for speech intelligibility and sound pres- sure level (this is above all because of the function of the speech alarm system). The acoustic characteristics can be simulated in advance, taking all influential factors into account – and in the end it is all calcula- ble physics. From the sound to the statics of the roof installation. In the case of a new construction project, it is important to in- tegrate the sound installation work into the whole project, along with its priorities. In modernisation projects on the other hand, you have to come to terms with existing conditions on site. Nowadays, there are more technical me- dia demands to be met and more relevant technical details than ever before, while so many factors have to be considered in an installation design, that only a small num- ber of companies take part in top-level pro- jects. Not only the hardware components such as speakers and amplifiers have to be considered, but also the specialist planning, project management and project imple- mentation including all work such as static certification and installation, which is car- ried out according to specified procedures. When it comes to hardware, German man- ufacturers clearly play an important role, both at home and internationally. But the national borders are also often blurred. For example, dbTechnologies Deutschland GmbH, which has a strong presence in German stadiums, is the sales subsidiary of the Italian manufacturer RCF in Ger- many, Austria and the Benelux countries. The countless Electro-Voice speakers which have been installed do indeed come from the US company. But it has belonged to Tel- ex Communications since 1998 – a package that Bosch Communications Systems took over in 2006. The global company group’s portfolio also includes the German compo- nent manufacturer Dynacord. This compa- ny contributes its own safety systems to the permanent installations. As one of the few global companies with a large range of hi- fi products on the consumer market, Bose has also recently supplied the speakers for German stadium projects. Stadium projects are obviously a good ref- erence, which involve a lot of expenditure, many large order volumes and the special aspect of suitability for outdoor use. But as a matter of fact it would be misleading to judge companies in the permanent instal- lation business only by their presence in stadiums and multi-function arenas. The sector also includes congress centres, au- ditoriums, theatres, churches, clubs and similar locations with highly-demanding sound requirements. For example, if US industry giants such as Meyer Sound and Community are not involved in any stadi- um projects in Germany or in Europe, this is by no means a sign of crisis. Currently there are enough top level contracts to be had. The company history of Meyer Sound is characterised by a large number of in- house developments and innovations. In many cases the stimuli have been and still are cooperations with demanding projects involving artists, festivals, tours and out- standing locations. This very often makes the perception of sector activities almost automatically global. Potential customers would be ill-advised to judge companies in the sound industry by their size alone. Sector expert Detlef Hoep- fner (see also interview): “Of course the re- ally small manufacturers find projects like this a real challenge, but we shouldn’t la- bour under any illusions: the departments responsible in large company groups are also pretty small, and each contract is supervised individually. This means that a mid-sized company with a list of refer- ences is also capable of participating in such projects successfully. Above all, we shouldn’t think that large globally active companies would simply carry out such a contract as a matter of course with hard- ly any effort, by just putting up a banner bearing its brand name somewhere: the pro-audio departments in the large corpo- rations, or respectively their in-house staff, have to prove themselves in the face of a much bigger automotive or consumer seg- ment, and also have to plan and work in an economically viable way.” The sound sector: Driven by passion Stadium installations are technically demanding, and this makes them an area of expertise with which not only manufacturers and planners are confronted. Both ambitious newcomers and established industry giants compete for business in this market. One of the numerous stadium installations by Electro-Voice, a company acquired by Bosch. Picture: Electro-Voice 