Offenbach Kickers new stadium incorporates QSC systems

Based in western Germany near Frankfurt, the Offenhback Kickers soccer team’s new home – the 25-million Euro stadium – houses a QSC Q-Sys integrated system that controls, routes and processes all the audio feeds and systems in the new ground.

The stadium boasts four weatherproof, covered spectator stands in the style of recently constructed English stadiums, which hold a capacity of over 20,000 spectators, ten VIP boxes, a special reception area for business club members and various retail outlets. The state of the art new Sparda Bank Stadium has been completed in time for the club’s 111th anniversary.

Improvements to the underpowered audio playback systems at the Kicker’s home ground were needed. The Q-Sys platform controls all the audio in the stadium from the main operations centre, including the associated PA/VA system. QSC equipment is also used to power the loudspeakers hanging in the stadium eaves. QSC PowerLight amps have been re-commissioned for use in the new facility after performance testing at the headquarters of the QSC distributor in Germany, Shure Distribution. Furthermore, a QSC CX302 power amp was additionally purchased to power new fill-in loudspeakers.

The centre in the main stand also acts as the audio control centre for the ground and holds the Q-Sys Core 1000 processor. This is linked to the other control rooms via a fibre-optic cable network which allows integration with the Q-Sys I/O Frames in the individual stand control centres. These act as the audio I/O boxes for the inputs and outputs in each stand, converting the analogue signals to digital and back as required.

Design work on the Q-Sys platform at the Sparda Bank stadium was carried out according to the club’s requirements using the Q-Sys Designer software before installation took place on site. The finished design was loaded into the Core 1000 unit when the units were installed at the stadium, and final adjustments were then made. All the audio systems of the ground can be adjusted and controlled from a wireless connected laptop if required.

Alexander Hulshorst, head of the stadium reconstruction project at the design and construction company Beckhoff Technik, said: “I’ve never worked with an audio networking platform that was so easy to integrate as Q-Sys.”

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