ELECTRO-VOICE IN IRAQI STADIUM

Baghdad-based APCO Electronics provided audio and acoustics design for the recently opened Karbala Olympic Stadium in Iraq — a 30,000-seat venue now fitted out with a multi-zone digital audio system based around the IRIS-Net system control and supervising software and Electro-Voice EVH-1152 horn-loaded loudspeakers.

The primary system requirement was that the sound system would meet FIFA football standards, which require 92% direct coverage and high intelligibility, with a Speech Transmission Index (STI) of 0.50 or higher. The installed system exceeds those standards, delivering 95% with an impressive STI rating of 0.80. Next to public address announcements, the system should also be used for voice alarm and evacuation purposes.

Using EASE simulation software, the APCO team developed a design based on the Electro-Voice EVH-1152 loudspeaker system, a two-way 15-inch horn-loaded design available in six dispersion patterns. For the specific grandstand angles at Karbala Olympic Stadium, APCO used 24 each of 60° x 40° and 90° x 90° coverage patterns. Paired together, the combination provides full-range coverage to all seating locations, including the corner areas. In addition, two EVH-1152 loudspeaker systems with 90° x 90° dispersion are deployed individually at either end of the field to deliver audio onto the playing surface as needed.

The entire sound system is networked together using Electro-Voice N8000 Dante-enabled DSP matrix controllers and powered by Electro-Voice CPS series amplifiers with RCM-810 remote control modules. The N8000 from Electro-Voice provides complete system routing and control via graphical user interface in IRIS-Net software. The main loudspeaker system is divided into four zones, each with its own N8000 from Electro-Voice and either three or four amplifiers, with the east side zones requiring and extra amplifier to feed the field speakers. All amplifiers are connected to their associated N8000 via a gigabit Ethernet switch to handle signal routing, with redundant connectivity to ensure a reliable digital network. A fifth N8000 is stationed in the stadium’s main control room, and acts as the master unit for the entire system, routing the audio to each of the four individual zones. APCO programmed the signal processing core to handle all required audio sources, including microphones, PC-based streaming audio, emergency notifications and scoreboard audio.

EV Gear:

• 24x EVH-1152D loudspeaker, 60×40-degree dispersion
• 26x EVH-1152D loudspeaker, 90×90-degree dispersion
• 5x N8000 digital signal processing matrix controller
• 14x CPS4.10 amplifier, Class D, 4-channel
• 14x RCM-810 IRIS-Net remote control module
• 6x ZX3-90W loudspeaker
• 3x CPS2.6-II installation amplifier
• 3x CPS2.4-II installation amplifier
• 4x RE2-N2/A handheld wireless microphone system
• 3x BPU2/A bodypack wireless system
• 3x RE92TX lavalier microphone, cardioid
• 2x PolarChoice Satellite 18 gooseneck podium mic
• 2x RE-2 wireless beltpacks for podium mics
• 1x APD4+AB active antenna splitter with power distribution

More Info:
Electro-Voice: www.electrovoice.com
Australian Distributor: www.boschcommunications.com.au