Omaha loves its baseball – in spite of its lack of a major league franchise. But there’s nothing minor league about the new TD Ameritrade Park.
The 24,300 seat, US$128m stadium – home to the Creighton Bluejays and the NCAA’s premier event, the College World Series – is among the game’s most technologically advanced, with microphones embedded in home plate and the pitcher’s mound, the second largest video board in the state of Nebraska, and a sub-air system within the playing surface that can heat or cool the field.
The venue is also equipped with high-tech sound reinforcement and broadcast cabling systems designed by BAI and installed by Electronic Contracting Company. With more than 700,000 feet of cabling and 120kW of power, the sound system features more than 200 Community Wet and R-Series weather-resistant loudspeakers.
According to ECC’s Chris Chavanu, there’s not a bad seat in the house. ‘It’s one of the best designs I’ve ever seen for coverage in a ballpark,’ hsays. The distributed design of Community’s Wet and R-Series loudspeakers deliver even, consistent coverage to the entire stadium.’
The sound system uses a number of R.5 two-way short throw loudspeakers, including R.5-94, R.5COAX66 and R.5COAX99 models, along with R.25-94 compact two-way loudspeakers. Three R2-474 three-way loudspeakers provide long-range coverage. More than 100 Wet Series W2 models complete the installation.
‘Community’s Wet Series came into play because the area is very exposed to the elements,’ Chavanu explains. ‘Nearly every loudspeaker is mounted on a pole that stands 30-foot high and is continually exposed to the elements. We pre-assembled each loudspeaker and ran pink noise and rattle testing in the field. Some loudspeakers were mounted onto poles which were then lifted 150 feet in the air by a crane to be positioned and secured. It’s a unique set-up.’
The broadcast facilties include a cabling plan developed with both the stadium’s and ESPN’s needs in mind. Mike Maryott – video productions coordinator for the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority, which operates the stadium – says the stadium has more cabling than most in its class, including DT-12, fibre, triaxial, and coaxial. The additional cabling provides more microphones to make the crowd sounds denser and also allows individual sounds, like vendors, to be pulled into focus without taking away from the main-play audio.
‘ESPN had a lot of requirements in the outfield for audio signals,’ he says, ‘so we ran a lot of single-mode fibre from a central patch point just beyond the “batter’s eye” past the centerfield fence and on out to the area where ESPN’s broadcast trucks will be. We also ran fiber from there to the pitcher’s mound and the batter’s box.’
The signature sound of the CWS and college baseball in general is the ‘ping’ of the ball hitting the aluminum bat, a sound picked up well by Sony ECM 50 lavalier microphones buried 4-5 feet. on either side of home plate. Each is encased in PVC and covered with one hard windscreen and two soft ones, peeking out from the ground. They were augmented by the lavalier worn by the home plate umpire. In addition, all the field umpires were miked this year during the series.
‘ESPN loves to get that ping,’ Maryott says. ‘Now they’ll be able to pick it up better than ever.’
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