Switzerland - Schwingen, known colloquially as trouser wrestling, is a martial art practised almost exclusively in Switzerland. An unofficial national sport, the annual NWS Championship is a celebration of this cultural tradition. Hosted in an open-air venue designed to accommodate thousands of enthusiasts, alongside plenty of wrestling, this year’s event also showcased an audio system installation from Wharfedale Pro.
In a collaboration between technical event specialists, Powerlight and Pixava, distributors Sacher Music and Wharfedale Pro's own application and solution manager, Alex Lane, the event was an action-packed day of Swiss traditions accompanied by clear, high-quality audio.
The venue, featuring four grandstands, can host up to 4,500 visitors with two grandstands seating approximately 1,050 visitors each, and the other two accommodating around 700 visitors each, with additional space for 1000 people standing. The primary goal was to achieve the best possible sound coverage and quality for voice reproduction and live and background music across the entire event space, so not a moment of action would be missed.
The installation comprised a total of 16 Wharfedale Pro WLA-112 line array loudspeakers, powered by two DP-4100N power amplifiers, connected over a Dante network. Two WLA-112s per grandstand were also powered by DP-4100N amplifiers.
“The loudspeakers were strategically placed with two WLA-112s on pole stands at around 1.8m high in each corner between the grandstands,” explains Lane. “An additional two WLA-112s were ground stacked on specially made wooden stands in front of each grandstand. This set-up helped ensure optimal sound coverage, eliminating the need for delay lines for the upper seats of the grandstands.”
The open and expansive nature of the venue posed challenges in terms of speech clarity. Wharfedale Pro’s DP series amplifier presets were crucial for ensuring each event announcement could be heard clearly. “Through using the WLA-112 voice presets, alongside FIR filtering to fine-tune the system, we could improve the overall audio clarity,” continues Lane. “This resulted in clear and pleasant speech reproduction.”
Christian Pümpin of Powerlight and additional sound engineer Stefan Ryser of Pixava remarked on the system’s performance: "The WLA-112s represent a new dimension in sound reinforcement, perfectly suited for this event and many future projects. With the recent addition of the WLA-121SUB 21-inch sub basses, we are also excited about their potential for live bands and DJ performances."
Visitors and event presenters were equally enthusiastic, with many noting that this was one of the best sound systems they had experienced at a local sporting event in Switzerland. The sound system's clarity and intelligibility significantly enhanced the overall event experience, ensuring the tradition of Schwingen could be fully enjoyed by an audience of thousands on the day. The event was also broadcast in full by SF DRS, the Swiss national TV station.
