The Bridgestone Arena, home to NHL hockey team the Nashville Predators, has continued to enhance its AV facilities with an RCF line array system. This follows ESPN’s Ultimate Standings fan survey, where the Bridgestone Arena topped the charts in stadium experience.
“AV is an integral part of that experience,” noted the arena’s senior director of technical operations Ben Bosse. “More than integral, it is an essential item,” attributing the music and video as a big part of the “total game experience” relating both pre-game and post-game productions and inciting the crowd during in-game breaks in the action.
Nashville-based sports stadium consultant, Durrell Sports, was tasked with improving the arena once again. “Bridgestone has always been a home town favourite to our company,” said Durrell principal John Horrell. “We have been connected to them, as being their main sound consultant, leaser of audio equipment, provider of media services and supplied audio technicians for the past 12 years. Watching the success of the building (rated in the top five most used stadiums in the country 10 years running) and the success of the Predators team has been exciting to say the least.”
Durrell was involved with the selection of the original system 12 years ago. Recognising that system was showing its age and in need of repairs, and with the commitment from the facility management for upgrades, Horrell started to explore new solutions.
On the RCF large format HDL50-A line array system, Horrell commented: “Most companies build line arrays for the live performance touring industry.” With the size of the arena, “we wanted tour quality sound in an installation friendly solution, plus the cost versus capability ratio of the RCF system made the choice even easier.”
Durrell demoed the RCF system for the duration of the playoffs. This system, Durrell believed in and the Bridgestone executives had faith in, being a great exciting solution to “get us through the playoffs and greatly increase the fan experience.”
Within six days of the final decision the old sound system was taken down and the new RCF system was put up. “Immediately I was very much so impressed, the RCF system gave us a much more dynamic sound with low frequency that had never been part of the Predator fan experience,” stated Horrell.
Another reason Horrell embraced RCF is because of the support provided. The company actually sent support with the actual HDL50-A design engineers. “We were able to tune the system and the impact was nothing short of spectacular,” said Horrell. “Fans were energised, motivated and Bridgestone became a very effective tool to aid the players and intimidate their opponents.”
