Australia - The Sydney Showground's Main Arena at Sydney Olympic Park, has been transformed into the 24,000 seat Skoda Stadium, the AFL's newest venue.
Designed by Populous, and funded by the NSW Government, Royal Agricultural Society and the AFL, the AUD $65m stadium is considered special because of its adaptability. It remains the main arena for the Sydney Easter Show, but it is now also an intimate stadium for AFL.
The stadium comprises two new grandstands built onto the existing infrastructure. The north-west side grandstand also hosts new coach's boxes, broadcast rooms and a massive scoreboard.
The PA People were called upon to fit out the public address systems for the new grandstands and integrate it into the existing systems of the existing areas. For this type of project JBL's AE Application Engineered Series of versatile loudspeakers for a wide variety of fixed installation applications are the preferred choice by The PA People.
Each new grandstand at Skoda Stadium houses four main PA clusters comprising of a JBL AM7315/95 high power three-way full-range loudspeaker, an AL7115 WRC sub and an AM7212 WRC rear firing speaker - all with extreme weather protection treatment. JBL PD5212/64WRC speakers, designed for applications requiring high output capability with excellent pattern control, and JBL AM7315/95 speakers were used as end firing boxes, with the AM7315/95 boxes firing a little shorter than the PD 5212/64WRC boxes so that all of the ground and seating around the scoreboard is covered.
"They perform well, especially coupled with the Crown MA5000i amplifiers," commented Josh Jones, The PA People's project manager. "I'm very happy with the sound as I'm sure the client is!"
Additionally, 78 JBL Control 29AV surface-mount speakers are used for under-fill and also the concourses.
Overall, from the field all the way back to the concourse, the quality of sound produced is spot on according to Jones.
Shure ULXP Wireless Microphone Systems and Shure PSM900 Personal Monitor Systems were chosen to offer compares and pre-game entertainers durable products that deliver the highest-quality sound
