Dodd Technologies used Riedel Communications’ upgraded Artist-1024 digital intercom matrix, along with Bolero wireless intercom and SmartPanel interfaces, at the trials for the US Olympic Swimming Team ahead of the Games taking place in France.
With an Artist-1024 in place of the Artist-32 systems used previously, the event production company successfully managed communications across a larger team and the larger, more complex setting of Lucas Oil Stadium, which earned the title of world’s largest aquatic arena. The event itself garnered a record number of attendees, drawing 20,689 fans plus a total viewership of more than 285,000.
‘Given our experience at past trials, we’ve become accustomed to the flexibility and the speed at which we can deploy Artist and Bolero — and how we can alter the Riedel intercom system to the specific needs of the event as they arise,’ says Caleb Cassler, Senior Audio Specialist with Dodd Technologies (DTI), which provided the live sound for the trials this year.
‘Integrating the Artist system with the giant system already in place took a matter of minutes, and because we didn’t have to spend time solving technical issues, we could focus on refining the comms to operate exactly as needed.’
Cassler’s team was able to connect their Artist-1024 to both the in-house Artist/Bolero system and the broadcaster’s OB truck with ease. With the Artist-1024 serving as the backbone of all communications, Dodd Technologies effectively increased the scale and functionality of its intercom system in a smaller footprint. Scale proved essential due to the sheer size of the stadium and the number of people needed on comms across that space to support the event. In addition to providing clear audio despite the densely crowded airspace, Bolero offered the benefit of water resistance, a useful factor for team members working around wet humans all day.
‘The RF spectrum in downtown Indy, where the trials were held, is extremely challenging,’ Cassler says. ‘With all the productions, including outside concerts, there are tons of channels — and we were in a stadium! But with Bolero, I didn’t have to worry about my wireless comms at all. It was delightful.’
‘It was exciting to participate in the US Swimming Trials once more alongside our excellent partner, Dodd Technologies,’ says Riedel Regional Sales Manager, James Skupien. ‘By upgrading their system to an Artist-1024, they gained the scalability and flexibility to integrate seamlessly with both in-house and external systems, creating a single, accessible solution. Just as important, they are able to design larger and more complex systems, achieving the same high-quality audio clarity and reliability, but with a smaller footprint and shorter set-up time.’
See also:
DiGiCo dives into US Olympic Swimming Trials
