ATK Audiotek provided live sound reinforcement for Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium last Sunday, deploying its custom cart-based audio system headed by Harman‘s JBL VerTec line arrays.
The system supported pregame performances of “America The Beautiful” by the Armed Forces Chorus and “The Star Spangled Banner” by Lady Gaga, as well as the Super Bowl Halftime Show, the most-watched musical event of the year, featuring Coldplay with special guest performances by Beyoncé, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.
The audience for Super Bowl 50 consisted of a live stadium audience of approximately 68,500 plus 165 luxury suites and 8,500 club seats. The event was telecast on CBS and also streamed live on CBSSports.com, as well as a variety of other mobile applications, with an average of 111.9 million viewers, making this year the third-most-watched program in American television history.
To ensure that the audio system was on par with the event’s requirements and expectations, ATK provided 18 carts, each loaded with four to five VerTec 4889 large-format line array loudspeakers, 84 in total, and two VerTec 4880A dual 18-inch subwoofers, totaling 36.
“The design of the systems was finalized months ago,” said Mikael Stewart, VP of Special Events, ATK Audiotek. “We only have a very short window when we can actually get inside the stadium and have the audio systems set up and tuned and ready for sound check. Patrick Baltzell, who is the front of house engineer for the Halftime Show, is very experienced with these systems, having mixed 18 of the last 19 Super Bowls, which helps ensure we can accomplish all that we need to in the given time.”
Fortunately, there were no challenges resulting from inclement weather that could have complicated the preparations for the big game.
“With high-profile live events, you have to be certain that the equipment you use is going to perform exactly as planned,” said Stewart. “There is no room for error. That’s why we rely on JBL loudspeakers; they provide the consistent premium sound quality that these events demand.”
Martin by Harman’s Atomic 3000 LED strobes were also used to light up the Halftime Show.
