They recommended a complete system overhaul, with a new audio setup based on Community Professional Loudspeakers' WET series. "We chose the Community WET series as our primary loudspeaker system based on its proven ability to stand up to the extreme weather the Browns' Stadium experiences on the shore of Lake Erie," explained John Horrell, President of Durrell. "As Durrell was asked to warranty the new speakers for seven years, the WET series was the clear choice.
The low temperatures and harsh winds present their own acoustical challenges as well, and the system needed to be robust enough to compensate for the weather and overcome the weekly din of 73,000 of the NFL's most raucous fans, The audio system is comprised of 83 of Community's WET 315H full-range systems, along with 169 of its R.5-66TX full-range loudspeakers. The stadium's main "Bowl" section is reinforced with 18 Community Professional Wet R6-51 full range bass horns to give the low end more punch.
The $2.1 million system overhaul also included the addition of a new parabolic microphone system in the eastern end zone - home of the infamous Cleveland "Dog Pound" - allowing the fans to hear the field noise and referee calls with the same detail provided on the team's TV broadcasts. Higher-output amplifiers by QSC were also installed to handle the requirements of the new sound system.
(Jim Evans)
