Most facilities would close for a job of this nature, however, Yokohama Arena is not a typical arena. Accommodating up to 17,000 people, the arena has played host to such high-profile events as the Pride Fighting Championships and the Rolling Stones on tour. Amenities abound: a projection system with four screens, 11,000 computer-controlled seats to complete a 3-D "immersion" experience, a ceiling capable of suspending up to 100 tons of weight, and excellent acoustical qualities are but some of the possibilities that this building boasts. Clearly, no average sound system would do for this arena.
Takeshi Ohta, general manager of the arena's sales department, says: "We designed a system that would provide a high degree of clarity within the arena. We chose (loudspeaker) models that could satisfy our coverage area and power requirements, and selected the Meyer loudspeakers for their self-powered design and extremely clear sound."
"The Yokohama Arena management wanted speakers that could easily cover the entire venue, yet also be used as the supplementary system if an outside PA is brought in," Ohta explains. The arena's crew began with a single Meyer Sound UPA-2P compact narrow coverage loudspeaker, which they designed around as their central speaker, then installed three additional rows of speakers behind it. The first and second rows are made up of 20 DF-4 dedicated down-fill loudspeakers each, and the third row utilises 22 UPA-1P compact wide coverage loudspeakers.
Overall, the installation was relatively painless. Kazuhiro Kikuchi, manager of the arena's facilities section, says: "We ran a simulation using CAD and MAPP Online Pro (acoustical prediction software). After determining the ideal speaker positions and angles, the contractor reinvestigated the feasibility of installation in those positions. We installed new rigging points using existing catwalks, and mounted the speakers with as large a downward angle as possible, in order to reduce reverberation and reflection. We then setup and tested the actual speakers for verification, and ultimately, only two required a slight adjustment from the projected installation angle." Speakers were tuned individually using Meyer Sound's SIM 3 audio analyzer.
Kikuchi cites one other reason for the choice of Meyer Sound loudspeakers-the ability to use Meyer Sound's RMS remote monitoring system in conjunction with the sound system. With its extensive monitoring capabilities, RMS allows the sound crew to easily configure the performance of each individual speaker, as well as the overall system according to whatever the current program's needs are. "[RMS] provides a complete solution for us," says Kikuchi.
With the new Meyer Sound system in place, the arena is moving ahead with a packed event schedule that ranges from sports events like Nago-Mugen Kung Fu Festival and WBA World Flyweight Title Match, to music events like the Hyde Park Music Festival and Wire 2006.
(Chris Henry)
