The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome recently received a new sound reinforcement system that includes a Yamaha PM1D large-format digital console, Electro-Voice loudspeakers and Crown power.

As its name connotes, the Metrodome is covered by more than 10 acres of Teflon-coated fiberglass material. With seating for 68,000, it's also one of the busiest sports facilities in the U.S., hosting Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins and the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings, plus other sporting and entertainment events.

The new sound reinforcement system at the venue addresses the need for greater production capabilities and better intelligibility. Involved in the design were Tom Pearson of Minneapolis-based Hollywood Sound, the State of Minnesota (owner of the venue) and the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission.

The first major test of the new system came with "March Madness" with the Metrodome hosting the NCAA "Final Four" men's college basketball championship. The dome was set up in its basketball configuration, accommodating a crowd of more than 50,000, with the new system designed to provide optimum coverage regardless of seating arrangement.

The speaker system consists of a center cluster comprised of 20 Electro-Voice (EV) Xi X-Array Series XI1153, plus an elliptical delay ring of 28 EV custom arena horns covering the upper decks. All cabinets are driven by Crown Macro-Tech MA600 and MA2400 amplifiers.

"Since the building is a dome," Pearson explains, "and the court is offset, every one of those speakers in the ring is on a different time delay. That was probably this system's biggest challenge. Also, in a dome situation, you've got to run a pretty substantial amount of feedback control, so the system has feedback locator EQs (two Sabine 901 and four Peavey FX431). That's very important, since you don't get a traditional soundcheck when going live."