Home to the Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria, the recently-inaugurated Gran Canaria Arena will host a range of sports, cultural and musical events in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The arena will seat 11,500 for basketball games, and upwards of 18,000 for concerts and other events.
Local company Canarias Hipermusic handled the design and installation of the sound system, choosing a DAS Audio Aero Series 2 line array after studying the arena’s measurements and acoustic characteristics. Led by Canarias Hipermusic’s Carlos Guerra, the installation team worked with DAS Audio Sound Projects Department Engineer Eva Argandoña on acoustic simulation, and the configuration and tuning of the system.
The resultant system design sees six clusters of seven Aero 12A powered line array systems installed for the main PA. These linear formations are flown next to the scoreboard, angled to ensure coverage to every seat in the house. Four long-throw DAS BiDriver Plus, powered by DAS D-20 amplifiers, enhance speech intelligibility on the court, while DAS DSP-4080 digital signal processors handle the management and control of the entire system.
The multipurpose arena has retractable bleachers that can be configured as different events require, and the sound system had to be equally versatile and adaptable. The top five units of each Aero 12A cluster are set up as long-throw to cover the arena’s permanent stands, while the two lower units are configured as short-throw and angled towards the retractable bleachers, much closer to the court. If needed, the two lower units can be muted when the retractable bleachers are not in use.
To round out the sound, DAS Audio Ceiling Series speakers in the halls and common areas as well as press and conference room. A ‘mobile’ system comprised of portable DR-512 systems was provided to use during the presentation of the events held at the arena. This supplementary system was brought to life with DAS PS Series amplifiers.
The arena is destined to become one of the most important arenas in Spain, on par with the Buesa Arena in Vitoria, the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona and the Palacio de los Deportes in Madrid. The arena’s versatility is evidenced by the packed schedule of different events over the coming months, including the motocross BP Freestyle in June, a Dani Martin concert that same month, Isabel Pantoja live in July, performances by the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil in August and a number of games for the Spanish-hosted Final Stage of the Mundobasket 2014 in September.
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