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Powersoft amplifiers power safety-first PA/VA at Elland Road stadium

A hat-trick of Powersoft amplifier platforms, including multiple models from the company’s Ottocanali series, are powering a new public address and voice alarm (PA/VA) system at the historic Elland Road stadium in Leeds, England.

Complemented by Unica- and Mezzo-series amplifiers, also from Powersoft’s fixed-install range, the Ottocanalis provide the amplification backbone for a safety-first, EN 54-certified PA/VA system delivered by UK-based system integrator ImPerium Integration.

Opened in 1897 and originally home to a semi-professional rugby league team, Elland Road has been home to three-time English football champions Leeds United FC since the club’s formation in 1919. Like many heritage stadiums in England, Elland Road’s lay-out betrays its humble roots, with different parts of the venue having been updated separately in the 128 years since its construction - the result being that its 37,792 seats are split unevenly between four stands, complicating the job of delivering a PA/VA system capable of providing even and consistent coverage across the entire stadium.

According to Alan Inkster, managing director of ImPerium Integration, Leeds United required a sound system that could ensure maximum intelligibility on match day while also provide the power and punch needed for concerts and live entertainment events. It also needed to be compliant with EN 54, the European standards for voice alarm and fire detection systems.

To supply the amplification backbone for this brief, Inkster and the ImPerium team turned to Powersoft’s Ottocanali range, specifying a total of twenty-four Ottacanali amplifier platforms (comprising Ottonacali 4K, Ottocanali 8K and Ottocanali 12K) to deliver 4,000, 8,000 and 12,000 watts of audio power respectively through eight channels to fans in the stands. The Ottocanalis are complemented by two Unica 4K8 amplifiers in the Pavilion banqueting hall, as well as a Mezzo 604 amplifier in the East Stand banqueting area. All Powersoft amplifier platforms are EN 54-certified for use in PA/VA systems.

The Ottocanali series is designed for mission-critical, multi-zone installations, with support for a wide range of system control, alarms, GPI/O and monitoring functions. The DSP models installed in Leeds also include on-board digital signal processing, offering enhanced flexibility while adhering the safety standards required by the club, with zoning provided by Peavey MediaMatrix servers (two Nion n3, two nCie Pilot, one sDAB 16i, and one sDAB 8x8).

At Elland Road, the Ottocanali amplifiers power eighteen Martin Audio Torus T1230 arrays in the North Stand, eighteen in the South Stand, twenty-four in the West Stand, thirty in the East Stand, and an additional twelve in the corners of the stadium. A further ten Martin Audio CDD12 loudspeakers are fitted at the rear of the West Stand for additional coverage, with Martin Audio SXCF118 subwoofers complementing the T1230s throughout.

Ceiling loudspeakers throughout all stands are EN 54-compliant Bosch EN54 models (180 in number), with an additional fifty RCF ceiling loudspeakers in the South Stand concourses and other areas. Also deployed at Elland Road: one Martin Audio CDD-Live, eight Martin Audio CDD5 and a Martin Audio Blackline X12, as well as forty Optimal Audio Cuboid 6 and twenty Optimal Audio Cuboid 5.

(Photos: ImPerium Integration Ltd)

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