Officially opened on 30 January, the all-new Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines cycling complex – which cost €74 million and took two years to build – features an EN54-certified Electro-Voice Innovation series EVAC loudspeaker system.
The heart of the complex is formed by the Vélodrome National – a 4,000sqm multi-function hall with a cycle track. In addition to major national and international sporting events, it is also planned that the hall will also serve as a venue for trade fairs, conventions and concerts.
The new PA/VA system had to meet French legislation on voice alarm and sound reinforcement systems, which stipulates that when the systems are combined they must satisfy the criteria for EN45 certification.
After dismissing the option of having a line array because the architecture would have disturbed coverage, French distributor EVI Audio France, opted for multiple distributed loudspeakers from Bosch brand Electro-Voice. Bosch’s vast experience in the field of stadium installations – particularly of EN-certified combined pro sound and EVAC systems – played heavily in the final decision. Systems integrator Tech Audio, which is based in St Denis, was enlisted to carry out the installation.
The bulk of the installed sound reinforcement system comprises 32 horn-loaded EVF speaker systems from Electro-Voice’s Innovation series: 18 EVF1122S loudspeakers with dispersion patterns of 90°x60° and 90°x40° were deployed in the Vélodrome National to cover the grandstands and 14 90°x60° EVF 1122S/96 loudspeakers were fitted in the interior. This offers the facility optimal dispersion characteristics, even in acoustically problematic rooms to achieve homogenous coverage and minimize the impact of room reflections.
The loudspeakers mounted beneath the roof are powered by eight Electro-Voice CPS8.5 amplifiers with RCM-810 remote modules. The system is controlled and supervised by a Dynacord ProMatrix DPM 8016 digital matrix manager and an Electro-Voice N8000 system controller. These are connected to one another by three Dynacord DCS 400 units. Elsewhere, the team deployed two Dynacord DPC 8015 call stations, which are equipped with a variety of modules (3 ,xDCS 801R, 15xDCS 409R, 1xDCS 412R, 1xDCS 416R) and 16 LML-1 modules, to supervise the loudspeaker lines.
The entire system is controlled and supervised using IRIS-Net software, which, in the view of Jean Marandet, EVI Audio France’s Product & Service, forms the heart of the system: “Thanks to its graphic interface and its multiple, individual EVAC-specific functions; this software makes a decisive contribution to the simplicity and user-friendliness of the system. Each customer has its own requirements, so in the setting-up, programming and display of an alarm and evacuation system by means of IRIS-Net, good technical support is of crucial importance.”
For the sound equipment serving the passageways, lounges and restaurants, the Tech Audio team also relied on equipment from Bosch. Over 260 LC1-WM06E8 ceiling loudspeakers, 66 LBC3018 metal-enclosure loudspeakers and 70LP1-UC20E sound projectors from Bosch are used here. They are controlled by a Bosch LBB 1965/00 Plena message manager.
