USA - When Major League Baseball (MLB)’s San Francisco Giants needed to upgrade their sound system, they turned to Powersoft technology and Diversified to integrate the system. The Giants – World Series Champions in 2010, 2012, and 2014 – moved to picturesque Oracle Park in 2000 after spending several decades in windy Candlestick Park. The stadium, considered one of baseball’s most beautiful parks with its San Francisco Bay backdrop, seats 41,331 with an added 1,500 for standing room.
Diversified – which maintains a longstanding relationship with the Giants, including installing the control room in 2000 – is renowned for its rich portfolio of stadium installations, including Climate Pledge Arena (Seattle) and American Family Field (Milwaukee Brewers), both of which are powered by Powersoft, while Powersoft has an equally impressive portfolio of clients around the world, including some of the world’s most high-profile entertainment and sports venues.
The roots of the Oracle Park installation date back four years, when, realising the sound system installed in 2000 was ageing, Diversified was hired to do a rebalance. However, both the Giants and Diversified knew a completely new audio system was needed.
“As it aged, the system began to have a few problems, and the Giants wanted something brand new that would not only deliver better sound but enhance the fan experience,” says Justo Gutierrez, director of engineering for Diversified. “We were able to reuse a lot of the existing infrastructure, using the same speaker locations with new products. We modelled it to make sure we picked the right things as far as Powersoft technology goes.”
That technology includes a Powersoft X4, a four-channel amplifier with DSP and Dante, as well as 36 Quattrocanali 4804 DSP+D and 12 Quattrocanali 8804 DSP+D, all of which are AC power-friendly and exactly what the Giants were looking for. The X4 and Quattrocanali, which at Oracle Park are paired with a Fulcrum speaker system, both feature Powersoft’s patented SRM (Smart Rails Management) technology, allowing Diversified to maximise the efficiency of the system and drastically reduce power consumption while reducing the need for external cooling devices.
“It’s got the DSP+D, which means it’s got DSP in the amplifier and the +D part means it’s Dante,” explains Gutierrez, “and it works with the QSC control system that’s in the stadium because there are plug-ins that Powersoft has developed that allow us to see the telemetry out of the amplifiers from the user interface on the control side of things. That is an important factor with amplifier selection because it needs to work as part of the overall control of the sound system.”
“The previous system was good, but now we have taken it to the next level, and there is a noticeable increase in the sound quality,” adds Jeff Dykhouse, senior design engineer at Diversified. “We have done numerous stadiums and arenas, but this is a top-tier installation in a top-tier location – it’s San Francisco, the Giants, and Major League Baseball. They also installed a new lighting system among the upgrades, and it was exciting to be part of this project.”
"This upgrade truly elevates the complete ballpark experience for our fans,” says Bill Schlough, the team’s chief information officer. “Fans may not see it, but they will definitely feel it."
“Having our amplifiers be a part of such an iconic stadium for MLB is an honour. We pride ourselves in designing and building top notch Class-D amplification with a strong focus on efficiency and sustainability,” comments Rick Woida, Powersoft’s senior sales engineer – large venues. “The team at Diversified were great to work with and I am happy to have supported them in their design decisions and deployment of this installation.”
