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Imperium Integration specifies over 100 Martin Audio speakers for Leeds United’s PA/VA stadium upgrade

Over a decade after installing a Martin Audio public address system at Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium, Alan Inkster and his company Imperium Integration have returned to renew the PA/VA set-up with the British manufacturer’s latest tech, headed by the Torus constant curvature arrays.

As part of a general stadium upgrade, and as a precursor to increasing the ground’s capacity as Leeds United return to the Premier League, more than 100 Martin Audio speakers have been detailed to provide seamless coverage across all four stands, including the corners, as well as the TV production studios, hospitality and general ancillary areas.

“The club needed to replace the PA system because it had reached end of life”, explains Inkster. They originally reviewed a number of potential solutions almost three years ago at the inception of the contract. “But then Torus came out just as we received the order, and so we changed it to Torus. It was perfect timing.”

The club sanctioned Imperium’s recommendation and each stand is now equipped with Torus T1230 (12 inch, 30° constant curvature) arrays. “We kept uniformity with Torus because you get a different timbre when you use different speakers. We needed more bass, and the moderate weight of Torus allowed us to put subs in the hang configuration.”

The East Stand comprises six 3-box Torus arrays, each with an SXCF118 cardioid sub, with double Torus arrays for the top tier. The North Stand comprises six Torus arrays (every second one with an added SXCF118). The West Stand is populated with eight Torus arrays, every second one with a sub, and at the rear the installers have used CDD12s in view of the physical barrier presented by the press gantry. Finally, the South stand is equipped with six Torus arrays (every alternate one with a sub).

Maintaining seamless sound into each corner are further triple Torus T1230 arrays, which can equally be raised and lowered. This is vital, as the owners were insistent that they didn’t want to bring in cherry pickers and heavy equipment to raise and lower the PA. This required them to fly the system and assign large double drum electric hoists to each array for lowering the rig.

For the rest of the stadium Imperium have turned to Martin Audio’s CDD series and Blackline. “For instance in the broadcast studio, we’ve used eight CDD5 because when not being used as a studio the area is used for private boxes, and since it’s sound-proofed we have to pipe the sound from the stadium back through them”, says Inkster. “Elsewhere Blackline X12s are used in the 2,000 sq.m Centenary Pavilion event space, as well as CDD Live 12 in Yeboah’s Crossbar, a hospitality area found opposite the East Stand.”

Some forty different banqueting suites and boxes, Bars and other areas have been equipped with Cuboid 6 speakers from Focusrite Pro sister company Optimal Audio, and a further twenty Cuboid 5 models have been fitted elsewhere around the ground. Imperium also focused on system intelligibility by deploying Martin Audio’s proprietary Display 3 software. “Direct SPL is the key in a loud stadium”, notes Inkster.

(Photos: Sophie Hoult/Martin Audio)

www.martin-audio.com

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