For more than three decades, the Meadowlands has been a part of life for New York area football fans.
When plans were begun to replace the aging arena, some fans were surprised to learn that, rather than a modern domed structure, the new stadium would be built in much the same traditional open-bowl style as the old one.
But while the aerial view of the New Meadowlands Stadium is reminiscent of the original Meadowlands, the similarities stop there.
The new stadium is bigger and better in every way, including a host of powerful new A/V and broadcast technologies. With more than 2,000 HD monitors, four massive HD video replay boards, and cutting-edge sound and broadcast systems, the New Meadowlands is truly a technological gem.
While the main arena PA – a large distributed JBL system – delivers powerful coverage to the bowl itself, one of the more challenging areas in the stadium is the concession zone, covered by a series of Community R.5 two-way full-range loudspeakers.
As Mark Graham, Associate with sound design firm WJHW explains, the R.5s were chosen as much for their performance as for their durability.
“The concession areas are very much out in the elements, and the rugged, weather-resistant nature of the R-Series was a major consideration,” says Graham. But even more important was the loudspeaker’s excellent record for intelligibility.
“The area is located just outside the main bowl,” says Graham, “so the loudspeakers have to overcome this tremendous wash of sound coming from the crowd of 85,000 people, plus the main sound systems.”
“On top of that, the area is outfitted with several hundred flat screens, typically pumping ESPN or some other channel. It’s a lot of sound to overcome, and the R.5s do that in a stunning fashion.”
Even before the 2010 football season officially commenced, the New Meadowlands had already garnered rave reviews, having hosted several high-profile events including soccer playoffs and concerts from Bon Jovi and U2.
And as a major feather in the new stadium’s cap, it has been chosen to host Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.
