The sound system of the sports hall in Akmenė

At the end of 2023, the sports and wellness center of Akmenė opened its doors to visitors after being completely renovated from the ground up. Reconstruction lasted for three years and included administrative offices, a cafe-bar, modern sports and leisure pools, changing rooms, a conference hall, training rooms, and a universal sports hall with a capacity of up to 350 spectators.

In this project, together with partners, Audiotonas installed a public address system in the universal sports hall, which is suitable for various types of events from sports competitions to small concerts.

We used full-band acoustic systems (R.35COAX) manufactured by Biamp (Community) to sound the sports field and spectator areas, the design of which blends perfectly with the metal structures of the building’s roof. Acoustic systems are mounted high above the audience’s heads, making them almost unnoticeable.

Since the sound system of the hall is intended to be used not only for commenting on sports competitions, but also for music during other various events, to expand the range of reproduced frequencies in the lowest band, we used Biamp (Community) manufacturer acoustic systems (IS6-118) with 18″ diaphragms, which are also installed stationary to roof structures. This choice of installation location (compared to standard equipment placement on the floor) allows staff to save space and time when preparing for events, and our engineers had complete freedom to install the acoustic systems in such a way as to ensure the best coverage of the space with uniform sound pressure. The equipment set also includes universal mobile RCF ART 912-A acoustic systems with telescopic stands for use in other spaces or for outdoor events.

Together with the acoustic systems, we rigged a sound operator’s workplace. All audio signals are controlled using the latest digital Yamaha DM3S control desk, the latest technology Blaze Audio amplifiers, which have integrated DSP sound processors, are used for sound amplification and processing. There are also wireless radio microphone systems – Shure’s BLXR series, the components of which are conveniently installed in a sliding cabinet. All the equipment fit in a small portable equipment rack, so the sound operator’s place does not take up much space and is “mobile”. Audio equipment when not in use during can be put away in storage, completely freeing up space for sports training or other activities.