Known for its vibrant atmosphere, the 63,000-seat Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, hosts a wide range of events from football games to large-scale concerts and community gatherings. The venue combines modern design with a commitment to innovation and world-class A/V, which has cemented its reputation as a cornerstone of entertainment in the region.
After 25 years of operation, parts of the stadium’s audio system needed maintenance, however. Following a competitive bidding process, CV Lloyde AudioVisual was selected to oversee the stadium’s audio upgrades.
‘We offered an alternative against the approved amplifiers because we felt there was an opportunity for the client to take advantage of excellent performance, ease of use, and distinct cost savings on the project,’ says CV Lloyde AudioVisual President, Stephen Morris. ‘After performing our due diligence on breaking down the home runs and verifying the requirements of each potential zone, we confirmed that LEA Professional Connect Series amplifiers would be more than sufficient to meet the venue’s needs.’
CV Lloyde installed multiple Connect Series 704D and Connect Series 1504D amplifiers to power the lower bowl in the venue. The four-channel CS704D offers 700W/channel, and the four-channel CS1504D 1kW/channel. All Dante Connect Series amplifiers are professional-grade IoT-enabled smart amplifiers for any sized installation, support Hi-Z (70V or 100V) and Lo-Z selectable by channel, feature Smart Power Bridge technology, and both 96kHz-capable Dante and AES67 connectivity options. The 704Ds supported back-of-house areas around the stadium, while the 1504Ds were assigned to the Fulcrum Acoustic speakers covering the lower bowl and end zone seating.
CV Lloyde used LEA’s SharkWare software to perform offline programming of all the pre-staged LEA amplifiers. SharkWare includes amplifier grouping, offline design, granular user access control levels, locked speaker tunings and a graphic EQ. SharkWare also allows users to monitor the status of every amplifier connected to the network and the status and performance of individual channels. In addition, the software gives users the ability to view and adjust channel settings such as input settings, signal generator, crossover, equaliser, limiter, and load monitoring for all LEA Professional Connect Series amplifiers.
‘Amplifiers play a crucial role in gain structure and providing the necessary headroom the venue has to have for peak moments,’ Morris says. ‘There has to be a high level of confidence to install any given amp, and LEA gives us that confidence in abundance, making it an easy choice for us in future projects of all sizes.’
