In summer 2013, the main PA serving the four stands at Signal Iduna Park, home to Borussia Dortmund, were replaced by system integrator fulfil engineering. Initially left for a future upgrade, the system providing coverage to the corners of the ground has now also been replaced.
Powersoft’s super energy-efficient Ottocanali installation amplifiers have been specified in combination with the advanced X8 Series, which were supplied by the Italian manufacturer’s German distributor, Laauser & Vohl. ‘Whenever I visited fulfil, Powersoft amplifiers had always been an important topic of conversation,’ says L&V Dales Director, Friedemann Wüstner.
Early in 2016, fulfil received an Ottocanali 12K4 on demo – and when the criteria were for high power output, eco-friendly devices, controllable through the proprietary Armonía Pro Audio Suite software platform, Powersoft answered all the questions. According to fulfil engineering Technical Designer Timo Boerger, with the first Ottocanali 12K already successfully driving the PA in front of the stadium, it logical to use the same platform inside the stadium as well.
The installation was supported by Powersoft Business Development Manager for Install, Marc Kocks, who had determined the final specification using Powersoft’s Design and Comparison Tool. ‘This enabled us to propose the most efficient solution,’ he says. ‘It calculated solution allowed us to compare the new Powersoft data with the old system. The outcome immediately convinced the user of the huge saving in mains power and cooling required when compared with the previous system.’
The task was to optimise the existing tri-amped EAW KF750 (35°x35°), EAW KF650 (60°x45°) and ASR665 (60°x45°) loudspeakers in the centre roof and infield, and on northeast and northwest corners, southeast and southwest corners. This was accomplished in four racks of DSP-equipped amplifiers and other equipment. Assigned to the various frequency bands of the system, using analogue inputs only, are eight Ottocanali (six 12K4DSP+ETH and two 8K4DSP+ETH) plus four X8 DSP+ETH amps – designating that these models are Ethernet-supporting (rather than Dante).
The specification also took into account the additional LF required to accurately convey the ‘heartbeat’ which is broadcast by the loudspeaker theme before the start of each match. ‘We used the existing EAW presets and Powersoft provided us additional settings for the ASR that were not already in place,’ Boerger explains. ‘The entire system is monitored and controlled via Armonía software – and in particular we are using the Presets/Delays/Gains and Mute Groups in the DSP.’
In terms of designation, the long stands (west/east) are equipped with an Ottocanali 8K4 (HF), an Ottocanali 12K4 (MF) and an X8 (LF) for the Infield PA (which comprises nine KF750 point source enclosures per side).
The short stands (south/west) are equipped with two Ottocanali 12K4 (MF/HF) and an X8 (LF) for two KF 650 boxes, ten ASR655 and six KF750 in the corners. All signals are transmitted by fibre-optic on an Ateïs network, and every amplifier input is fed from its own dedicated Output on the matrix, while each stand and infield PA has its own bus from the mixing desk.
Boerger believes that the Powersoft solution was the right one: ‘We wanted the amplifiers to be monitored and controllable.’ he says. ‘The fact that they have a GPO to trigger an alarm, when something is not fully working, was also important.’
And with the amplifiers continuously sending status messages, fault and error warnings to Armonía, he knew he was in safe hands – as this was required specifically for the HF and MF bands. ‘The Powersoft amplifiers offered everything we needed for this installation,’ he concludes.
More: www.powersoft-audio.com
