Sports hall sound system

When we sound a sports hall, we must focus on the correct coverage of the acoustic signal. We also take into account that we do not sound only for speech, but also for reproduced music, which must sound sufficiently dynamic. We always sound the stands and in some cases also the sports (playing) field.

What microphones will we use?

As a source of speech signal, a normal wired microphone MD 510, or a desktop type PA 580 These microphones are installed in a sound booth, control room, or simply where there is a technical background. If we need to move the microphone around the playing area and the stands, we will use the handheld wireless type MBD 840. If we expect more presenters, we will choose one of the dual-channel types. MBD xx2 wireless microphones.

Even though the range of Dexon wireless microphones is over 120 m, we recommend installing an external antenna. MBA 100 will increase the range to up to 300 m. It may seem that such a large range is unnecessary, but by using an external antenna we will ensure that the signal will not be attenuated by people or the steel structure of the hall.

What music sources will we use and how will we mix them?

We do not need to deal with any CD or Mp3 players. The music will be provided by the sports match moderator. He brings a laptop with him, where he has stored MP3 songs and jingles. He connects the computer with a cable to the mixing console.

When planning a sound system, it is advisable to use two mixing consoles. The main console is located in the technical area, where all microphones and other sound sources are connected, including the cable from the moderator's laptop. This console should be protected from unauthorized manipulation to prevent unwanted changes to the settings. The moderator controls the volume of the music and jingles directly on his computer, while the microphone settings remain fixed. An excellent choice here is the DMC 2440

And now for the second mixing console. Down below the stands, near the playing field, there is usually a place for the referee and jury. This place is often used by the moderator or other staff who need to play music, jingles and comments. For this purpose, in this very place, we install a built-in mixing console JWP 460. It is to this that the layman can easily connect other signal sources, other microphones, and also, using the built-in Mp3 player, play his own music and jingles from a USB flash drive and an SD memory card. And since it has built-in Bluetooth, you just need to pair a smartphone and play music directly from it. There can of course be more of these mixing consoles and they are all connected to the main mixing console.

Connect Dexon IP Audio and get the comfort of planning, automation and playback not only from a computer

Sports halls are often part of a larger complex, which may also require planned announcements and various jingles. Therefore, it is very appropriate to supplement the sound system with the IDE 1101 decoder, which mediates the connection of modern Dexon IP Audio technology. The sound here „travels“ over data – in a LAN computer network, or even over the Internet (WAN). Its audio output is introduced into the already mentioned main mixing console DMC 2440.

And what do we get from this? We can broadcast announcements, music from playlists, Internet radio and of course plan all of this. You can also capture regular sound from your computer (its sound card), for example when you play Spotify or Youtube in a browser. Of course, there is also user and role management.

And why get an analog or digital sound system? In this video we show why and how to do it:

How do we drive the speakers?

The sound system itself, due to its size, is made in high-impedance 100V mode. With this in mind, we install power amplifiers JPM 1184, or JPM 1504, or JPM 1904, or JPM 11204, which differ in their power.

It is practical to divide the sound system into zones. For example, one zone will be the stands, the second zone will be the playing area, the third zone the parking lot and the fourth zone the sports hall's facilities. Then we dedicate one amplifier to each zone. The speakers in a given zone are connected in parallel

However, there are also cases when the sound system is not implemented in the high-impedance 100V mode, but in the low-impedance 8 Ω mode. This happens when the speakers are selected as professional types from the BC and BCW series. In such cases, we choose classic stereo amplifiers DAH 800 and DAH 1700. The reproduction quality will be the highest here. However, we must point out the fact that a significant part of the power is lost on the connecting line to the speakers. The cable here must have a larger cross-section in order to at least partially minimize the losses.

How to sound the grandstand?

We sound the grandstand in width and we have the columns of the grandstand structure available, to which we attach the speakers using brackets. We can use the ones supplied with the speakers, but the steel structure of the grandstand roof and columns usually has a different tilt than we need. We mount the speakers so that their axis points towards the middle row of seats. We choose the density of the speakers with regard to their directivity (usually 120 ° to 150 °) and, of course, with regard to the availability of the steel structure. It is necessary not only to place the speakers correctly but also to direct them correctly.

The ideal model is the „DPU 502“ speaker:/kata­log/plosne-instal-ozvuceni/sloupove-reprosoustavy/ It is sufficiently powerful, has a wide horizontal directional characteristic and its sound is natural for speech, understandable and also dynamic for music.

And if you want to save money, choose the speakers DPT 612, or better DPT 614. They will understand the speech, but do not expect dynamic music.

But if you want something more powerful, in the case when the fans are really noisy and loud, and the reproduced music must also be very dynamic, we definitely recommend the speaker with the console SL 1002. It is specially designed for sports halls and stadiums, has high sensitivity, performance and is the best solution for music reproduction.

The last possible solution is the speakers BC 1200 and BC 1500. They are combined in nests of two or four pieces and are also used in so-called multimedia cubes. In terms of their performance, they are the best solution for music, but they are not as climate-resistant as the above-mentioned SL 1002. We remind you that they must be connected in low-impedance mode with a cable with sufficient cross-section for amplifiers from the DAH 800 and DAH 1700 series

How to sound the playing area?

The most ideal solution for sounding the playing area is SL 1002 model. This speaker system is specifically designed for this purpose. It meets the requirements for pleasant music reproduction, intelligible speech, and all this while maintaining a large power range and wide directional coverage of the acoustic signal. Since permanent installation is expected not only in large interiors, but especially in exteriors, even those without a roof, the speaker system has a high degree of protection IP 66, so its permanent installation in the rain is possible.

The SC 65AH model is a more economical solution for sounding the playing area. It is a reentrant speaker with a console, with high efficiency and climate resistance, so it is also suitable for direct rain. Speech is still understandable, but the music presentation is of course worse than with the SL 1002 model. But you will save money.

How many speakers?

The spacing of the above-mentioned speakers should be between 8 and 15 m. You will thoroughly (with our help) assess how loud you need the reproduction, how important speech intelligibility is, and you will also take into account the installation points, i.e. the availability of steel consoles and columns on which you will install the speakers.

Don't forget about the sound system of the sports hall's background.

The last zone is dedicated to the sound system of the background. For sound distribution, we recommend using a high-impedance 100V system, which usually includes a power amplifier JPM 1184. This amplifier provides 180 W of power and is suitable for long-term operation. For more advanced planning and unattended operation, you can choose an amplifier with Dexon IP Audio technology, e.g. the model JPM 1184IP, which allows intelligent control and remote management. An older alternative is a radio control center, e.g. the JPA 1186, which offers an integrated MP3 player, FM, DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity.

For interiors, if possible and false ceilings are available, we choose ceiling speakers RPT 110 and RPT 123. Their installation is easy and quick. Where false ceilings are not available, we choose speakers with a console SP 642, larger SP 652, or small models SP 642. For outdoor areas, for sounding roads and parking lots, sound projectors CSP 195, with a more pleasant presentation of music, or, conversely, more efficient reentrant speakers SC 35AH, which project sound to a greater distance.