WJHW specified Crown, opting for CTs Series amplifiers equipped with PIP-Lite network control modules. "On this go-round, the nature of the system was certainly far more robust," says WJHW Principal Ron Baker. "One of the things that we do as a matter of course on any of these major sports projects is to use amps that are capable of being networked, operated and monitored from a central control point because there are so many channels involved that an operator needs some sort of computer assistance just to be able to maintain an idea of what's working and what's not. We have certainly exploited the Crown control features on this particular project."
There are an impressive 211 CTs amplifiers in the new Busch Stadium system, located predominately in two main equipment rooms at the first and third base lines, with an Ethernet network used to communicate those two primary locations to the main audio control room in the press box area. According to Baker: "The nature of this particular seating design is very intimate with speakers located directly over patrons' heads in many places and required quite a few individual loudspeakers in order to cover the space. More loudspeakers obviously meant more amps."
SPL Integrated Solutions was the contractor working with WJHW on this project, and, having installed numerous Crown products in the past, the company was very comfortable with the systems integration process. Justo Gutierrez, SPL senior project engineer notes: "We have very successfully used the CTs line in three or four stadiums, so it basically just came down to figuring out what the owner and consultant wanted and tailoring the amp and control system to their needs."
(Jim Evans)
