The system configuration was designed by IT Audio founders Til Schwartz and Ivo König with equipment supplied and operated by Emsdetten-based POOLsound (formerly known as Westfalen Sound). POOLlight provided lighting, with event planning supervised by POOLproduction.
The large crowd was captivated by a star-studded lineup split between two stages, including a political talk show hosted by journalist Sandra Maischberger and TV presenter Thomas Gottschalk of the popular Wetten dass..? The outdoor programme also included the performances of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 conducted by Daniel Barenboim, as well as Udo Jürgens and the German band Pur.
"The 12-hour TV live show was a very complex production, which included numerous pop stars, three months of preparation by event managers, production managers, sound and light designers, and one week of setup, which culminated in a massive celebration," reports Marcus Mechelhof, Mediapool's head of production for the event.
The sound system was consisted of two identical main systems - one for each stage - including 48 Meyer Sound Milo line array loudspeakers and 42 700-HP subwoofers. In addition, 24 Mica and 16 M'elodie line array loudspeakers and numerous UltraSeries loudspeakers were deployed as delays, along with 16 MJF-212A and 12 UM-100P stage monitors providing foldback. The entire system was driven and controlled by a Matrix3 audio show control system and a Galileo loudspeaker management system with six Galileo 616 processors.
Mechelhof reports: "The audience enjoyed the event with a versatile and impressive sound reinforcement system with high intelligibility for the talk show, powerful and clean sound for Daniel Barenboim and the State Orchestra, as well as groovy sound for the pop and rock acts."
(Jim Evans)