Bosch Wins in Wollongong Stadium install

Published: September 04, 2012 ASIA

AUSTRALIA: Rechristened as the WIN Stadium following corporate sponsorship, Wollongong Showground is a rectangular multi-purpose stadium in Wollongong, which regularly hosts the St George Illawarra Dragons rugby league side.

The construction of a new western stand, positioned near to the sea front, was approved in 2009 under a revised plan to replace the previous 50 year old grandstand with a new two-tiered stand of 6,000 seats, boosting capacity of the stadium to 23,000. However, Wollongong locals – nicknamed the Steelers courtesy of the local steelworks – were outraged when a new steel canopy for the stand was imported during the construction phase, while strong sea winds threatened the canopy before it was properly bolted into position. It is still at high risk of collapse if wind speeds once again pick up.

Given the roofing problems, A/V consultant Haron Robson was called upon by John Gunnell from architect Alan Jack + Cottier to design a PA system for sports announcements, commentaries, BGM and paging. Following EASE simulations and having considered various speaker solution options, Haron Robson recommended that two rows of 12-inch speakers be installed into the canopy.

‘A line array would add too much weight to the canopy and ceiling speaker systems aren’t powerful enough to provide powerful, even SPLs to the seats below,’ explained ex-Haron Robson consultant Mal Barnes. ‘Of all the 12-inch speakers on the market, there was only one that was powerful and lightweight enough to fit the bill and that was the EV ZX3 speaker system.’ Combining a 12-inch DVX3121A woofer and 2-inch ND2 titanium/neodymium HF driver coupled to a 60-degree x 60-degree coverage horn, the 600W RMS (continuous) model is capable of producing 131dB maximum SPL.

The systems integrator, Noisebox Entertainment Systems, installed the 24 white ZX3 cabinets from the top of the canopy, by suspending the speakers from single points into cut out templates before adjusting their angles and fixing into position. The entire loudspeaker system is powered by six Dynacord H-5000 multi-channel amplifiers, whilst an EV Netmax N-8000 system controller provides complete system management including routing, DSP, system control and supervision. At the insistence of the local council, a Drawmer SP2120 processor provides speaker protection ensuring the stadium decibels do not exceed imposed limits in the surrounding neighbourhood.

The West Stand is also home to two new function rooms, which are used for game days in addition to corporate conferences, weddings and parties. Processed by an EV Netmax N-8000 processor, two EV CPS4.5 amplifiers power the EviD C8.2 ceiling speakers in these zones. An AMX NI-4100 processor provides complete remote control via a tablet, including Panasonic Blu-Ray DVD playback, whilst a lectern loaded with A/V equipment has been installed with an EV RE90P microphone. Four channels of RE2 wireless microphones have also been installed into the venue to enhance the facility’s functions.