"On the one hand, you have to provide even coverage to all 45,000 spectators attending the races, but on the other, you must avoid interfering with the efforts of colleagues to provide TV and radio coverage to those following the event from the comfort of their homes. And then there's the hostility of the terrain, with its bumps and hollows. All in all, a pretty tough nut to crack."
The most effective 'nutcracker', this year, as in all recent years, turned out to be an XLC system - an extensive one - powered by amplifiers from Electro-Voice. But whereas last year, you could actually see the boxes strung out along the three-kilometre course, this year they were tucked away behind the tarpaulins of the various video walls. "That was actually ideal for us," says Peter Auer, "because it allowed us to provide 120° coverage over a giant area."
Peter Auer added, "We had it all to contend with this year: sun, rain, snow, freezing temperatures and ice - the full spectrum - but the rig just played and played."
(Jim Evans)
