When the Snowboard World Championships returned to Valmalenco in Italy for 2021, it was behind closed doors as many sports events taking place under coronavirus restrictions. With four days of competition on the snow – after a nine-year absence from the Alpe Palù – Frate Professional took care of the audio and video, installing a wireless system comprising stacking stations with RCF HDL 26-A line arrays and HDL 35-AS subs.
The audio system had to guarantee sound reinforcement for the entire competition area, including the start and the finish zones – with 800m distance (as the crow flies) between the main points. Fabio Frate and his team devised a strategic solution…
‘To avoid long cable runs and crossing the parterre with cables, we used Neutrik Xirium Wireless Bridges from the ski lift technical room up to the control room positioned finish area. An already existing balanced line of the chairlift facilities also allowed a wired connection with the sound diffusion spot at the start area.’
The sound system was installed along the snowboard slope for five days, including one day of pre-event set-up. It ran non-stop for eight hours a day and was left outdoors (and under the snow) each night throughout the championship period, using only the rain cover accessory to protect the rear connection panel for each unit.
‘RCF assured us the system would work with great ease, as all components are waterproof and can work smoothly in sub-zero temperatures – and it did. At night here, temperatures can go right down to -25°C.’
The logistical challenges were not limites to the harsh climate; inaccessibility of the stations also had to be dealt with. ‘All of the equipment was transported on the snow, using snowmobiles and snowcats, which, thanks to their load capacity, made it possible to integrate our RCF HDL 26-A units with HDL 35-AS subs – modules from the same RCF series, for better musical performance,’ Frate says. ‘The low end delivered by those small subs is impressive and could be felt even at a great distance.’
In the audio control room, a Yamaha QL1 digital mixer all of the incoming audio signals from wireless mics and contributions, as well as the mix routing to the TV broadcasters.
‘The performance of this small-sized line array is top notch, the audio was clear and intelligible along the entire snowboard slope,’ Frate continues. ‘Although the audience were small in number, the HDL system still reached everyone even hundreds of meters away. I was impressed by the reliability of the system. It always delivered maximum performance, even when turned on first thing in the morning, after a night of freezing temperatures.’
More: www.rcf.it
