Recently, on the eve of the park's 50th anniversary, a massive redevelopment plan was undertaken, transforming the venue from a stadium that fans would tolerate a few days per year in order to see their team, to a year-round tourist destination that has been recognized by Sports Illustrated as the top stadium experience in the NFL, and the eighth-best facility in the world to see a game.
While the stadium's original classic seating bowl was preserved, the rest of the park's infrastructure has been completely revamped, including an audio system upgrade that includes Community Professional Loudspeakers' WET and R-Series weather-resistant loudspeakers. According to Mark Plopper of Green Bay-based Made Ya Look Productions, the company behind the audio system design, the Community R-Series had been tested and proven the previous year.
"We had installed the R.5's in the team's Ray Nitschke Field practice facility last year, and everyone was more than impressed with their performance", he says. "They thoroughly surpassed our expectations."
The stadium's concourse is covered by more than 120 of Community's R.25 two-way 8-inch weather resistant loudspeakers. As head tech Dan O'Brien explains, the Community loudspeakers solved a persistent challenge in the cavernous space. "There's a tremendous amount of ambient noise along the concourse", he says. "It's a very reverberant space, and you've got the sound from the field mixing with the sounds of the vendors, bathrooms and people milling around. The previous system was fine for background music, but important announcements couldn't cut through the ambient noise."
Community's WET Series W2-312 three-way boxes cover the stadium's outdoor facade, as well as providing fill within the bowl. And WET Series loudspeakers and subwoofers are installed as part of the Tundra Tailgate Zone, a portable sports bar in the parking area that provides a season-long indoor tailgate party.
(Jim Evans)
