Estadio Mineirao was the first of three 2014 World Cup stadia to be completed using Community loudspeaker systems. Soundvision Engineering, the largest professional audio and video contract integrator in Brazil, was commissioned to design and install the audio systems by EmÃlio Miranda of Johnson Controls Brazil, the contract holder for Estadio Mineirao.
Soundvision's CEO, Antonio Tadeu Torquato, and new business manager, Leandro Freire, carried out an extensive evaluation of loudspeaker systems that would provide the best solution for the arena. They concluded that the first choice was Community, proven for all-weather reliability, well-defined coverage and high intelligibility.
After installation, performance analysis measurements made in the arena by Fernando Gargantini, Soundvision's systems manager, and Dave Howden, Community's technical director, showed that the system performance met specification and provided good coverage.
The main system configuration consists of 24 clusters, each with four or five R2 loudspeakers. In total the system uses 24 Community R2-52s, 24 R2-694s, six R2-94s, four R2-77s and 48 R2-474 loudspeakers. These are fed from processors and amplifiers located in five technical rooms, communicating through CobraNet with D-link redundancy and BSS-BLU processors. The system is connected to the arena's fire alarm system, enabling the distribution of live and pre-recorded messages for mass notification or emergency evacuation.
Soundvision was also appointed for two further World Cup stadia, Arena de Sao Paulo and Arena Amazonia, which were also fitted with Community R-Series loudspeaker systems.
Arena de Sao Paulo is located in Carmosina, Sao Paulo, and has been built specifically for the 2014 World Cup and with a seating capacity of 65,000 for the event. For Arena de Sao Paulo, Soundvision designed and installed a system using 16 Community R2-94s, 16 R2-694s and 16 R2-77 loudspeakers.
Arena Amazonia, is located in the city of Manaus in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. The sustainable stadium project will deliver an important legacy for the region and provides seating for 42,377 spectators. This system in Arena Amazonia was completed by Soundvision using 64 Community R2-474's and seventy-six R.25-94T loudspeakers.
(Jim Evans)
