AUDIO
OUTSIDE THE BOX
Outdoor speakers have to resist everything from frost to pollution,
or the heat of the sun. Most manufacturers offer both indoor and
weather-proofed outdoor versions of speakers with similar internal
components. RCF outdoor speakers are made of composite
materials that are resistant to rain, humidity and UV light. The
company adds poly-urea coatings to the wooden enclosures,
internal bracing and mechanical parts to provide resistance to
pollution and extreme weather. The speaker grilles feature waterrepellent
filters and there are chemical treatments on the
transducer cones. Electrical connections are also protected and
sealed to fully protect from the elements.
angle covers areas near the stand, and a far-field
loudspeaker throws audio to the furthest reaches of the
space. The loudspeakers can be configured with
different horizontal and vertical coverage patterns,
meaning that the dispersion pattern can be finely
focussed to where it is needed. Each ArenaMatch
speaker features a 14in woofer, plus six EMB2S
compression drivers delivering full range, high SPL,
performance, without the need for subs, which offers
greater install options and flexibility. Meanwhile, the
hospitality boxes in the stands will contain small
loudspeakers and Bluetooth technology that connects
to the PA systems, or the commentary.
Time alignment issues also need to be considered
when configuring any AV network. Ascot racecourse,
for example, has multiple screens down the length of
the track. Each one has a natural lag time which means
Thomas has to place a delay in the speaker systems that
synchronizes the images with the sound. “It’s not so
bad for racing, but the live interviews need the lips in
sync, or it looks silly,” he says.
Dave Howden faces similar discontinuity issues
during Monster Jam monster truck events and Nascar
races. Some parts of the crowd could potentially see the
image half a second before the sound arrives. His teams
have to calculate a “sweet spot” in the crowd over a 40ft
(12m) wide area, and calibrate the sound in order that
some people in the audience receive it a little bit earlier
and others a little bit later. But the gaps remain
tolerable to the human ear. n
A far-field loudspeaker can cover
the furthest reaches of a space,
but lag is an issue to consider
RCF’s TTL 55-A is a weatherproof, three-way line array module
18 www.stadia-magazine.com March 2020
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