BayArena | Leverkusen, Germany

BAYARENA

Leverkusen, Germany

Copy: Jörg Küster Images: Jörg Küster; Shutterstock / JelenaA

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everkusen’s BayArena now features a new sound experience. Since the 2021/22 Bundesliga season kicked off, loudspeakers and power amplifiers from Coda Audio’s portfolio have provided a state-of-the-art sound reinforcement for visitors and the players on the field alike at the home ground of Bundesliga football club, Bayer 04

Leverkusen. The BayArena sees itself as a modern sports venue with a model character, where top-class football can be experienced at a close proximity: With a total capacity of 30,210 seats (4,500 of which are standing room), the distance from the furthest seat to the field’s centre is only 94 metres – in hardly any other Bundesliga stadium are viewers this close to the action on the field. Spanning the spectator stands is a self-supporting ring cable roof with a diameter of 215 metres and a surface area of 28,000 square metres. With a roof depth of up to 70 metres, the Makrolon roof skin – a development by Bayer – extends beyond the stands and offers visitors protection even from inclement weather. Eight pairs of diagonal supports carry the entire roof structure and create the impression of a “floating” roof.

Emerging as the winner of the nationwide tender for the new sound reinforcement system was Wilhelm & Willhalm. The owner-managed company has not only been a distribution partner of Coda Audio since January 1st, 2021. It is also the point of contact for the complete portfolio of the Hanoverbased manufacturer. Leading the Leverkusen BayArena project on Wilhelm & Willhalm’s side were Christoph zur Loye (Head of Sales) and Thomas Dürrbeck (Sales Manager Brands & Integration). On the client side, the project was the responsibility of TecArena Plus GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fussball GmbH: TecArena is the football club’s technical service provider and responsible for facility management, construction and project management as well as greenkeeping. Felix Duden (Managing Director TecArena Plus GmbH), Wolfgang Seßmann (Head of Strategic Facility Management), Christian Wild (Media Technology) and Philip Poerschke (Media Technology) were primarily responsible for processes regarding the new sound reinforcement system. “Representatives of several suppliers visited the stadium to get an impression of the prevailing conditions,” recalls Media Technician, Christian Wild. “We provided the companies with an existing EASE model of the BayArena to ensure that the targeted STI values are reached: With the new system, our clearly communicated goal was to achieve an STI value of 0.56 on at least 90 percent of the areas that are to be covered.” In close cooperation with Coda Audio’s tech support, Wilhelm & Willhalm created a sound reinforcement concept based on the EASE data provided and later also carried out the installation as an integrator. The latter was complicated by the fact that during the 2021 summer break, extensive construction work took place in the stadium (which included new hybrid turf with heating and drainage as well as trenches at the edge of the pitch for distribution pipes) and therefore only a very limited number of time slots were available in which the fixing points could be accessed via a boom lift. Coda Audio GmbH, represented by Wilhelm & Willhalm, is an internationally active pro audio loudspeaker manufacturer based in Hanover, Germany. According to Managing Director, Svetlomir “Svetly” Alexandrov, Coda Audio manufactures drivers and enclosure components with a high vertical range of manufacture in its own production facility in Bulgaria – a fact that reduces costs for example regarding transport and

favours short development times. Quality management is also not left to chance: Coda Audio is DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 certified. The installation in the BayArena was the first time that a German Bundesliga stadium was equipped with products from Coda Audio. To cover the tiers as well as the field, 82 white APS loudspeaker models are used in combinations that matched the respective position. “Compared to the previously installed system from another manufacturer, the Coda Audio arrays are visually much less noticeable,” Christian noted with satisfaction. “Instead of eight units, only five speakers are now required in most positions, and the weight of the individual arrays is also much less than before.” Media Technician, Philip Poerschke, added: “To be honest, we were a little sceptical at first when we saw the comparatively small number of loudspeakers that Wilhelm & Willhalm wanted to install in the BayArena. We were, however, quickly proved wrong, and the Coda Audio speakers’ dual-diaphragm technology in particular completely convinced us. The main task of the sound reinforcement system in the BayArena is the transmission of speech (Shure wireless systems to a Yamaha QL1 mixing console for the stadium announcers), although the new system is also well suited for the reproduction of music, not least due to the double 10” configuration of the loudspeaker modules, as Christian Wild and Philip Poerschke unanimously confirm. An independently operated voice alarm system is available in the BayArena for use in hazardous situations; a connection between the voice alarm and pro audio systems was set up via an interface in the Coda Audio Linus system amplifiers in accordance with DIN 60849. APS is the loudspeaker manufacturer’s acronym for “Arrayable Point Source”, a hybrid loudspeaker that can be used as a single point source as well as in a horizontal or vertical array. Weighing 27 kilos, the three-way system was designed as a “one for all” solution for medium-sized applications. In other words, it is a “best of both worlds”, as the APS combines the scalability of a line array with the flexibility of a point source system. Coda Audio recommends the use of APS systems both as a main sound reinforcement system (as single units or in an array) and as near or side fills. As an all-rounder for short to medium distances, the eight-ohm APS model is intended for DJs and bands as well as for clubs, theatres and houses of worship – a stadium installation like the one in Leverkusen should thus mark the upper end of possible applications for the APS models. The compact, polyurea (PU) coated birch multiplex loudspeaker cabinet, which is equipped with an integrated two-point rigging system, contains two low-distortion 10” woofers (symmetrical arrangement, bass reflex principle) and a patented 9” DDC driver (“Dual-DiaphragmCurved-Wave-Driver”). Thanks to exchangeable couplers, different nominal dispersion angles can be realised – both symmetrically (20° × 60°/90°/120°) or asymmetrically with a total opening angle of 75° (30 + 45°), 90° (30° + 60°) or 105° (45° + 60°). When using the Arrayable Point Source speakers in array configurations, the vertical coverage is extended by 20° with each unit added. The manufacturer promises a “linear phase response for superior fidelity” and specifies a frequency response of 50 Hz to 22 kHz (-6 dB). High-quality components are to guarantee operational reliability and durability. Inside the BayArena, the APS loudspeakers responsible for the tiers are distributed across 16 positions, 14 of which are equipped with five APS each. Due to structural conditions, only 2 x 2 APS are used for sound reinforcement on the south stand. A new feature in Leverkusen is a sound system for the

playing field that consists of 4 × 2 APSs pointing downwards from the roof towards the field and covering the entire field area. APS versions with a horizontal dispersion angle of 60°/90°/120° are used in different combinations to match the respective tier topology, so that different sound zones are realised in a customised manner: Media representatives, for example, can work relatively un-disturbed at predefined interview and reporting positions while fans continue to be entertained with music and announcements. The APS speakers installed in the stadium are MG (“Marine Grade”) versions, which are also suitable for use on cruise ships. Their features include sealed fixed connection cables, corrosion-resistant stainless steel grilles, sealed crossovers, stainless steel screws and special gauzes that are acoustically transparent yet waterproof. In the BayArena, custom-made metal enclosures were added, which enclose the clusters at the back and on their rear flanks and also protect the junction boxes positioned on the cradles. The special “packaging” is necessary as pyrotechnics and pigeon droppings can pose significant problems in football stadiums. The enclosures’ smooth surfaces ensure that nest-building materials cannot be attached and pigeons are therefore unable to build nests on the arrays. Twelve Coda Audio Linus 14D system amplifiers are used in the BayArena in Leverkusen to match the APS loudspeakers. The four-channel power amplifiers (19”, 2 RU) each deliver 4 × 3,500 watts at 4 ohms. A total of four audio inputs can be addressed in Coda Audio’s amps, either analogue, with AES3, LiNET or Dante, and can be flexibly routed to any of the four outputs. In the stadium, the USV-buffered amplifiers are spread over four control rooms located in the upper tier. Cross-over

cabling (“tooth gaps”) between the four control rooms as well as between each control room’s three power amplifiers ensure that the supply of the sound reinforcement zones is guaranteed also in the event of a theoretically possible amp failure. Large cable cross-sections counteract losses on lines with lengths of 80 to 120 metres. Christian Wild points out that the power amplifiers running in continuous operation require considerably less energy than the models previously used in the stadium: In the BayArena, the twelve four-channel Linus 14Ds have replaced a total of 72 power amplifiers. LiNET, which may not be widely known, is Coda Audio’s signal transport ecosystem that allows redundant signal transmission of eight digital audio channels as well as of control data over a single CAT5e cable. AES3 signals with sampling rates of up to 192 kHz can be sent via LiNET to any Linus amplifier, where they are buffered (clock recovery/ regeneration with minimum latency) and passed on to the next unit in the chain via “LiNET Link Out”. According to the manufacturer, cable distances of 300 metres are possible when using shielded CAT5e cables; even longer distances are feasible with shielded CAT6A cabling. In the BayArena, two fibre-optic rings are installed to distribute Dante signals redundantly. The associated switches feature interfaces that convert incoming Dante signals to AES (primary network) and to the analogue level (secondary network) and then pass them on to the power amplifiers. A fallback function ensures that the amplifiers automatically switch to the analogue inputs without artefacts if the digital supply is interrupted. In addition, a Dante connection to the amps has been set up, but is currently not actively used.

“The simulation results, all performance parameters, as well as the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of the offer clearly spoke in favour of Coda Audio.”

The Linus 14D model’s signal routing can be conveniently set via remote control software (“Linus Control”, available for macOS and Windows) or optionally also directly on the unit via buttons located on the front panel, a jog dial and a monochrome display. Also included is a SHARC DSP (“Linus CORE”), which is responsible for functions such as IIR and FIR filtering as well as peak and RMS limiting (with look-ahead function). Presets that are perfectly suited for the Coda Audio loudspeakers facilitate system setup and are also deployed in the BayArena – no external processing is used.

In the control room, “Linus Control” is displayed on one of the numerous screens and shows an immediately comprehensible, clearly structured interface that does without unnecessary bells and whistles. “For us, an important aspect is that the sound reinforcement system for the upper tier and the individual stadium blocks can be controlled separately in order to avoid unnecessary excitation when fewer spectators attend events in the stadium,” Philip outlined. “For years, Bayer 04 Leverkusen has been relying on innovative and sustainable solutions when it comes to its stadium technology,” said Felix Duden, Managing Director of TecArena Plus GmbH. “Our objective when renewing the sound reinforcement system was to significantly improve the electro-acoustic sound situation in the stadium with a highquality but also attractively priced solution.” Wolfgang Seßmann, Head of Strategic Facility Management at TecArena Plus GmbH, added: “The simulation results, all performance parameters as well as the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of the offer clearly spoke in favour of Coda Audio. Wilhelm & Willhalm convinced with a system design that was as innovative as it was efficient. The required acoustic parameters were clearly exceeded during the project acceptance, and after the first Bundesliga matches, our new sound system has more than convinced us.” Christian reported that in the past there were occasional complaints from fans who reported after a match that the stadium announcers were not easy to understand at their seats. “There have been no more complaints like that, and we’ve received feedback from our fans that everything can be understood now and that the music sounds really good,” said Philip According to Poerschke, the best STI value in the BayArena today is 0.72 at specific positions, while the maximum average level required for stadiums in the spectator area (at least 105 dB A-weighted from a capacity of 15,001 people onwards) is achieved without any effort. Due to the pandemic, Leverkusen‘s stadium was quite unevenly filled during the current season, with a maximum occupancy of 27,000 fans during a briefly-relaxed Covid phase. “When it comes to audio technology, it is certainly interesting in this context that even during matches be-hind closed doors and without spectators, the speech intelligibility was very good despite many reverberant and thus reflecting surfaces,” said Philip “Bayer 04 Leverkusen plays a leading role in the Bundesliga and, as a trendsetter, is innovative in many respects,” stated Christoph zur Loye. “This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Coda Audio was selected for the BayArena’s sound reinforcement system. The technological concept convinced in an ambitious pitch and I’m convinced that the price was not the decisive criterion – those responsible were definitely not interested in a budget solution! Rather, thanks to a convincing overall concept, we were able to prevail with Coda Audio in a very committed competition.”

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