A new sound reinforcement system for BayArena, the 30,210-capacity home of the Bayer 04 Leverkusen professional football club in Germany that competes in the Bundesliga, incorporates CODA Audio APS loudspeakers and additional components in a project under the direction of TecArena Plus, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the club.
“Our objective when renewing the sound reinforcement system was to significantly improve the electro-acoustic sound situation in the stadium with a high-quality, attractively-priced solution,” states Felix Duden, managing director of TecArena Plus. A nationwide tender process followed, with representatives of several suppliers invited to the stadium to gain an impression of the prevailing conditions.
“We provided the companies with an existing EASE model of the BayArena to ensure that the targeted STI (Speech Transmission Index) values were reached,” explains media technician Christian Wild of TecArena. “For the new system, our clearly communicated goal was to achieve an STI value of 0.56 on at least 90 percent of the areas to be covered.”
Tech group Wilhelm & Willhalm of Aschheim, a distributor partner of CODA Audio, emerged as the winning party in the process and was also appointed as the integrator for the project, which had to be completed during the summer break at the same time as other extensive works on the playing surface.
The new system at the comprises 82 APS (Arrayable Point Source) loudspeakers that are designed to be used either as a single point source as well as in horizontal or vertical arrays. Specifically, to cover the tiers inside the stadium, marine-grade APS are deployed across 16 positions, 14 of which comprise five APS each. Due to structural restrictions, a further two positions for the south stand comprise two units each.
APS versions with horizontal dispersion angles of 60, 90, and 120 degrees are deployed in different combinations to match the respective tier topology, allowing different sound zones to be customized. Media representatives, for example, can work relatively undisturbed at pre-designated interview positions, while fans continue to listen to music or stadium announcements. A unique aspect of the design (and new for the stadium) coverage to the pitch itself, handled by four groups of two APS units pointing downwards from the roof.
“Compared with the previously installed system, the CODA arrays are visually much less noticeable,” Wild notes. “Instead of eight units, only five speakers are now required in most positions, and the weight of the arrays is also much less than before.”
The loudspeakers driven by 12 CODA LINUS14D four-channel amplifiers, each stated to deliver 3500 watts per channel at four ohms. Audio inputs can be addressed in the amplifiers, with a choice of analog, AES3, LiNET and Dante routed to any of the four outputs. The amplifiers are spread across four control rooms located in the upper tier. Crossover cabling (‘tooth gaps’) between the four control rooms, as well as between each control room’s three amplifiers, helps ensure that the supply to the sound reinforcement zones is guaranteed in the event of a theoretically possible amp failure.
With large cable cross-sections counteracting losses on lines with lengths of 80 to 120 metres, the amplifiers running in continuous operation require considerably less energy than the models previously in use — the 12 CODA units in place have replaced a previous total of 72. The signal routing can be set via remote control software (LINUS CORE) available for macOS and Windows, or directly on the unit via front panel buttons, jog dial and monochrome display.
An independently operated voice alarm system is available in the BayArena for use in hazardous situations, a connection between the voice alarm and pro audio systems was set up via an interface in the LINUS amplifiers in accordance with DIN 60849.
“The required acoustic parameters were clearly exceeded during the project acceptance, and after the first Bundesliga matches, our new sound system has more than convinced us,” concludes Wolfgang Seßmann, head of strategic facility management for TecArena.
