While SSE was entrusted with providing the full audio design and implementation for the two-and-a-half-hour mass at Bellahouston Park, Glasgow - as well as the full programme of pre- and post-service entertainment - as previously reported, Wigwam did likewise at Cofton Park in Birmingham.
The solution provided for SSE project manager Dan Bennett, had far-reaching consequences. The bespoke fibre system, configured and supported by Optocore (from both Germany and the UK), was designed to enable them to tunnel Ethernet through their optical fibre system, enabling L'Acoustics' new Network Manager Remote Control Software to reside on the network.
Bennett realised that Optocore would give them the combined benefit of sufficient bandwidth, L'Acoustics system support and the extensive coverage required between the mixing position and the stage. This included nearly measured 500m distance from front to back.
In total SSE used 21 150m fibres over more than a 2km ring. Fed by Dolby Lake processors, all the distribution was handled by Optocore's workhorse DD32E.
Bennett explained, "WIth 100-plus LA-8's feeding 20 hangs of L'Acoustics K1, VDosc, Kudo and Kiva, we needed to be able to individually call up and healthcheck the amps remotely. To be able to do this via Optocore's 100Mbit/sec Ethernet tunnel was amazing - that was the real selling point for us."
Optocore supplied 18 of Optocore's flexible V3R FX devices for converting the analogue signals to AES-EBU at the amp rack locations.
This allowed Dan Bennett and his system tech Nick Pain, to send 24 AES and eight analogue signals from the Dolby Lake drive rack down the same fibre from the house position. Providing tie lines and comms between FOH and stage were two Optocore X6R-FX converters.
"This is the biggest system I have designed - and fibre is the only thing that will run over those distances," Dan Bennett confirmed. "The Optocore system was rock solid and provided a fantastic solution."
(Jim Evans)
