Motocross has never sounded so good, with db Technologies digital line arrays towering above the Motocross World Championship racecourse in Fermo last month. The dramatic undulations of the Italian track used for the last Grand Prix of the season presented quite a challenge to provide complete coverage during the two-day event, but Andrea Salvioli was up to the challenge.
Making use of the manufacturer’s newest release, DVA T12, dBTechnologies Product Manager and Audio Specialist, Salvioli explains the system’s design.
“We used three clusters each comprising ten T12 modules, flown from a crane at a height of 16 metres. Beneath these were a further two stacks of the DVA S20 subwoofers, six facing one way and six the other, to get the best possible low frequency coverage for the area. One stack of subwoofers was delayed by 4.5 milliseconds to compensate for the gap between the two stacks, which was easily adjusted by RDNet remote control.
“The starting line – the highest point of the track – was made up of two clusters of four T12s, each cluster coupled with four S20s. The difference in height between the lowest and highest points of the track was 150 metres, so it was hard to organise coverage for all the public, but using the three clusters at different angles turned out to be the perfect solution.
“The total area of the track was about 500 x 400metres and with the dBTechnologies DVA system, we were able to spread the sound almost everywhere,” Salvioli says, clearly very pleased with the outcome. “We were all impressed by the efficiency of the system and especially the ease of installation, despite the peculiarities of the place.”
Transmitting the audio signal between the three clusters and the control room was exceptionally slick, using dBTechnologies wireless system comprising MS120 (directive transmitter antenna) and a PU920 (receiver). “We used two different radio frequencies rather than signal cables for the total distance of 350 metres, and two repeaters for safety. There weren’t any drops in transmission though,” says Salvioli.
Both the event organisers and dBTechnologies customer/rental company Bebo Service were extremely satisfied. Salvioli added conspiratorially, “They told me that previous races during the championship didn’t sound as good as this one!”
