At the recent Red Bull Cashed Ice downhill competition in St. Paul, MN, an event that attracted more than 140,000 spectators, EDGE ShowTek (Northbrook, IL) deployed a sound reinforcement system comprised of NEXO loudspeakers and subwoofers joined by a Yamaha Commercial Audio CL5 digital console.
Specifically, the loudspeaker set for the wide-ranging system incorporated hundreds of boxes of GEO D, GEO S12, GEO S8, and RS18 Ray Subs.
EDGE ShowTek utilized Dante networking with fiber distribution to link several Yamaha Rio input/output boxes and numerous NXAmps with Dante cards that were dotted throughout the area. And with the ability to drop Rio boxes anywhere in the network, Al Zara of EDGE ShowTek explains that the design approach allowed them the freedom of inputs and outputs right where they were needed.
“This show has an insatiable demand for outputs and used up almost the entire capacity of the Yamaha CL5 console,” Zara says. “From the singer of the National Anthem at the start line 1,200 feet away from audio control to the broadcast announcers and show DJ located in different areas of the course, we were able to drop Rio boxes to accommodate inputs and outputs.
“Given that all the NEXO lines are very closely voiced, the system enabled us to provide seamless coverage of the show grounds,” he adds.
Zara, who also served as front of house engineer, notes that the event presents a major challenge from a design and technological standpoint.
“There are many demands for speaker zone outputs and alignment, multiple broadcast trucks’ needs, and complicated show cues,” he says. “We handle a good deal of broadcast events, and to be successful, you need to have a systematic approach to all of your AV systems. It’s a major plus to have the capabilities of our Yamaha and NEXO systems.”
“The Dante network lends itself to the Red Bull Crashed Ice type of event by allowing us to use off-the-shelf product to convert from fiber to copper and integrating very easily,” adds technician Jon Carrico.
