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Bon Studio Fulfil Contracts for three Olympic Stadia

Drawing heavily on the product portfolio of Harman Pro group companies for whom they handle distribution, Bon Studio were able to meet the specifications laid down for the Pampeloponissiako and Panthessaliko Outdoor Stadia, and Nikaia Indoor Stadium; and when some of the designs were later modified to achieve optimum sound quality, Bon Studio were able to comply with the revised requirement.

The company’s marketing manager, Elpi Bofiliaki, confirmed: “The experience, reputation and specialist knowledge within our company were the main factors in securing these prestigious projects, which are considered to be among the largest and most important Olympic projects in Greece. Two of the stadia — Pampeloponissiako and Panthessaliko — are the only ones in Greece presently equipped with line array systems, specifically the VerTec Line Array from JBL Pro.

The new 24,000-seat Pampeloponissiako stadium is located in the city of Patra, and was built in order to stage the Olympic football tournaments. Bon Studio successfully tendered for the contract to install the sound reinforcement system in the stadium’s main arena, as well as the sound reinforcement and public address system in the internal peripheral areas.

Bon Studio used EASE predictive software to optimise the design, the aim being to accomplish a sound level of 105 dB (±3dB) and a frequency response of

60 Hz – 16,000 Hz. Two speaker clusters (using a total of 12 enclosures) were initially planned but this proved impractical due the low trim height, which would have inhibited the sightline. As a result, four clusters were eventually deployed, two at the centre and two at the sides of the stadium. The side clusters are comprised of four speakers and the central clusters of eight, making a total of 24 JBL VerTec VT4888 mid-size line array enclosures.

These are augmented by JBL Pro Application Engineered speakers in the shape of 14 x AM4212/64 and 12 x AC2215/00 enclosures. Amplification is provided by 35 x Crown CTs amplifiers, controlled via an IQ Network and Crown’s proprietary IQwic software.

Sited in the stadium’s control room are two Soundcraft consoles — a LIVE 8 and LX7, with broadcast connection achieved via a 30-channel splitter with isolation transformers. To optimise performance, a pair of BSS Audio ProSys 8810 CN 8 x 10 DSP matrix devices providing a digital transfer of the audio signal to the amplifiers (providing a 16 x 20 matrix in analogue form). The installation also features a dbx DriveRack PA and 1066 along with two JBL LSR25P studio monitors.

In the Press Room further Harman products include two Crown XLS-602 power amplifiers, a Soundcraft FX16 console and two JBL EON-1500 enclosures. Additional Harman Pro equipment deployed in other areas of the stadium includes a further XLS-602 and CH1 from Crown, two JBL EON-1500’s and an SR 830 QX dual 15-band EQ from DOD.

Up in the city of Volos, the new 21,000-capacity Panthessaliko Stadium also hosted football tournaments during the Olympic Games 2004. Once again, Bon Studio successfully tendered for the work, which includes sound reinforcement for the main and peripheral arena, as well as the public address system for the internal peripheral areas.

The company again used EASE modelling software to accomplish a sound level of 105 dB (±3dB) and a frequency response of 60 Hz - 16.000 Hz. The 24 x Vertec VT4888 line array speakers are complemented by 32 further AC2212/95’s from JBL Pro’s Application Engineered series.

Faced with the same challenge as with the Pampeloponissiako Stadium, in which the original cluster design would have obstructed the view of sections of the crowd, two clusters of eight speakers each are now placed in the middle of the arena, flanked by a further two clusters of four speakers. Once again 40 Crown CTs amplifiers have been assigned to power the syste, (comprising 18 x CTs 3000, 14 x CTs 1200 and 8 x CTs 600).

Providing coverage in the peripheral arena are 16 JBL Pro Application Engineered AC2212/64’s, driven by four Crown CTs 1200’s. As with Pampeloponissiako Stadium, a Crown IQ Network and IQwic software control the amplification and connectivity.

Control is again optimised (for speech and music playout respectively) via a pair of BSS ProSys PS-8810 CN’s, digitally transferring the audio signal to the amplifiers via CobraNetTM, while a 16 x 20 matrix is provided in analogue form. Two Soundcraft LX7 consoles and a LIVE 8 console, situated in the stadium’s control room, distribute all the analogue signals (audio sources, microphones etc).

Also in use in the main arena are a dbx 1046 quad compressor limiter, two JBL Pro LSR25 studio monitors, 40 Crown IQ-PIP-USP3 modules, which integrate into a 100-Mb Ethernet network via TCP/IQ™ protocol. Four further IQ-PIP-USP2 modules provide the additional power, flexibility (and onscreen error reporting) in the stadium’s peripheral arena.

The new 5,200-seat Nikaia indoor stadium is located within the city of Athens, and hosted the Weightlifting tournaments during the Olympic Games 2004. Again Bon Studio successfully tendered for the contract to install sound reinforcement in the stadium’s main arena, as well as the public address system in the gym and guesthouses.

Set with achieving the same coverage and sound levels as in the two outdoor stadia, the challenges facing Bon Studio this time were manyfold. The initial planning of the stadium called for speakers to be placed in two concentric circles around the stadium, but this design was overturned in view of the extensive reverberation time. For this reason, the speakers were placed in a single circle around the stadium, in order for speech intelligibility to be increased.

Bon Studio deployed 24 JBL Pro Application Engineered series enclosures for this purpose — 20 x AM4215/64’s and four AM4315/95’s — while 12 JBL Pro Control 29’s provide under balcony coverage. Powering the main arena system are 26 Crown CTs Series amplifiers (10 x CTs 2000, 14 x CTs 600 and two CTs 1200), interconnected and controlled with Crown IQ Network and IQwic software. Available in the control room is a Soundcraft K3 mixing console, which will distribute the analogue signals (such as audio sources, microphones etc).

The gym’s public address system uses 13 Crown CH1 amplifiers to power no fewer than 491 speakers of various types (roof speakers, horns, etc). The Press rooms are also equipped with mobile units, consisting of a Soundcraft FX16, a Crown XLS-402 amplifier and two SF15 speakers from JBL Pro. The guesthouse PA system utilises a single Crown CH1 amplifier and CTs 4200 to power 87 various types of speaker.

For the main arena, Bon Studio also provided the two JBL Pro LSR-25P studio monitors and a pair of MP-415’s, along with 20 x Crown IQ-PIP-USP2 modules, two dbx DriveRack PA’s and two 1066 quad comp/limiters.

“The Athens Olympic Games 2004 was a milestone in both Greek and global history,” summarised Elpi Bofoliaki. “We are delighted to have played such a prominent role in the build-up to the event.”

In picture: the Football Tournament at Pampeloponissiako and a JBL VerTec hang at Panthessaliko.

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Bon Studio Fulfil Contracts for three Olympic Stadia

8th September 2004

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