The management of Gliwicki Klub Sportowy Piast Gliwice in Polish soccer's premier division - the Ekstraklasa - recently decided in favour of the second option, replacing a stadium constructed just after the Second World War with a completely new and ultra-modern one.
When it is finally completed at the end of 2011, the Stadion Piast will seat up to 10,000 spectators and will be the first stadium in the Silesia region to comply with UEFA's stringent regulations for international stadia - including those dealing with sound reinforcement and evacuation systems.
The Breslau branch of Polish Dynacord distributor Tommex Zebrowscy Sp. J. was commissioned to design and install the new audio system. After examining in detail the claims of competitors' systems, the Tommex-team led by Marcin Zimny opted for a solution based almost entirely on equipment from Dynacord.
The managers of the stadium in Gliwice - like those of the Allianz Arena in Munich and Olympic Stadium in Berlin- had requested a solution in which the pro sound and evacuation systems were combined. A key role in the solution adopted is played by a P64 Audio Matrix Manager.
With this modular, network-capable and freely configurable audio system controller, an entire audio network with 32 audio channels can be configured and controlled via Ethernet and IRIS-Net software.
To guarantee sufficient power and flexibility to adapt to a multitude of applications and situations, the team from Tommex decided to complement the six DDSA 8805 power amplifiers with two DSA 8405 multi-channel power amplifiers. Each of these is remotely controlled and monitored via an RCM 810 module. To maximise spectator safety, a function is provided that allows the fire brigade or police to cut into the program material at any moment with an important announcement.
In five different parts of the stadium interior, wall-mounted UV 300 mixers and PWS-6 wall-operated panels are provided for signal and volume control. At the same time, an installed touch panel warns of any error conditions or defects. The stadium announcer's booth is equipped with a Dynacord CMS 1600 mixing console.
(Jim Evans)
