College Football Season Roars Loud and Clear at Georgia Southern Due to Superior Audio Quality
The sound system at Paulson Stadium, Georgia Southern University, has undergone a significant upgrade, thanks to Biamp's innovative solutions. Prior to the upgrade, the university faced challenges with its legacy sound system, including play-by-play calls and announcements struggling to rise above crowd noise and attempts to increase volume leading to audio distortion.
However, the installation process was streamlined as the speaker arrays were already installed and wired when Biamp's team arrived on-site, eliminating the possibility of physically re-aiming them. The installation included Biamp Community LVH-900 series loudspeakers paired with ALC amplifiers.
The key to the upgrade's success was Biamp's VenuePolar optimization software. This software-based approach electronically adjusted the vertical coverage patterns of the installed speaker arrays, without any physical reconfiguration. This method allowed the team to correct coverage issues and reflections efficiently, saving significant time and costs that would otherwise be required to physically re-aim or reposition speakers.
The VenuePolar software improved speech intelligibility and consistent sound pressure level (SPL) coverage at Georgia Southern University's Paulson Stadium. Initial system testing revealed uneven coverage and a significant reflection issue stemming from the press box and fieldhouse, both of which impaired intelligibility. Using VenuePolar and FIRmaker tools, the acoustic output of the Community LVH-906 and LVH-909 loudspeakers was reconfigured to redirect sound energy away from reflective surfaces.
The result was a much clearer, more evenly distributed sound throughout the 25,000-seat stadium, with improved clarity for play-by-play calls and announcements. Chris Barrow, global senior product manager at Biamp, stated that the project demonstrates how smart digital tools and high-performance loudspeakers can solve complex acoustic problems without the need for reinstallation or physical adjustment of loudspeaker arrays.
The adjustments evenly distributed sound pressure level (SPL) across the stadium seating and reduced reflection off the fieldhouse by as much as 9 dB. On-site equalization fine-tuned the system for maximum clarity and performance. After evaluating the acoustic impact in the far seating sections, filters were further refined to reduce reflections by six dB while limiting SPL loss in the furthest seats to just three to four dB.
Charlie Hughes, principal engineer, electroacoustics, at Biamp, expressed satisfaction with the result, stating that everyone involved was thrilled. The upgrade aims to improve speech intelligibility and consistent sound pressure level (SPL) coverage throughout the stadium. The university needed a reliable solution that could be implemented efficiently, and Biamp delivered. The technologies provided a tailored solution that resolved complex acoustic challenges quickly and efficiently without added cost or delay.
- The upgraded sound system at Paulson Stadium, thanks to Biamp's innovative solutions, now provides clearer sound for sports events like football, as play-by-play calls and announcements are easily audible over crowd noise.
- The installation of Biamp Community LVH-900 series loudspeakers and ALC amplifiers, coupled with the use of Biamp's VenuePolar optimization software, enabled the team to effectively manage sound distribution in sports venues, like Georgia Southern University's Paulson Stadium, improving sound quality and speech intelligibility for all spectators.
