The RFU (Rugby Football Union) contracted an independent consultant firm, Vanguardia Consulting, directed by Jim Griffiths, to supervise the install. On site consultants working for Vanguardia were Mark Murphy, John Staunton and Mike Bedford. To complete the install Sysco used 22 kilometres of cable and seven different delays to ensure that the whole system was synchronised to perfection.
"There were acoustic shadows in the rows of seats below the balcony where live sound could not be heard and this problem really needed to be solved," says Eva Argandona. "So we decided on systems from the Arco and Artec series since their actual size and shape make them ideal for under-balcony positioning. We wanted to deliver excellent message intelligibility with these systems and we did exactly that. This type of event calls for clear and precise messaging."
Ease 4.2. acoustic prediction software was employed for this project. Following the simulation it was decided that a total of 168 model Arco 24 systems (to cover the rows of the lower tier) and 168 model Artec 26 units (for the middle tier) were needed to achieve optimum SPL for this type of venue and to provide uniform coverage across the whole audience area. The Arco 24 and Artec 26 units were all positioned horizontally with a four meter distance between them. Both models are designed to meet IP-54 standards for outdoor use.
D.A.S. BiDriver Plus systems, distributed in two, three-unit clusters were utilised to cover the actual pitch. The system design called for the use of these systems for their long-throw performance. They are also designed specifically for applications where wide coverage and high voice intelligibility are required but extended bass reinforcement for musical reproduction is not the priority.
(Jim Evans)
