Meyer Sound UPQ Drives Nightlife at Germany's Famed Nürburgring
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For 80 years, fans have flocked by the millions to Germany's Nürburgring, an auto racing course known for its Nordschleife track which twists and loops through the green field and forests of the Eifel mountain range. Each year, 100 races and 200 other events draw two million visitors to the site. To expand Nürburgring to an all-season recreation and business location, several hotels and other all-weather entertainment facilities have been constructed, including the Eifelvillage Gruene Hoelle (Green Hell) events and gastronomic complex. At the heart of the Eifelvillage is the Eifel Stadl, a gleaming hub for nightlife where more than 2,000 guests can groove to dance mixes pulsating through a potent Meyer Sound audio system. The Eifel Stadl system, along with other audio and video systems in the complex, was designed and installed by Kraftwerk Living Technologies GmbH of Wels, Austria. The Eifel Stadl nightclub demanded particular attention, as it required balanced coverage at appropriate SPLs for six areas on two floors, including several bar zones and VIP areas as well as the spacious dance floor. The dance floor system comprises four Meyer Sound UPQ-1P loudspeakers augmented by a quartet of hard-driving 600-HP subwoofers. "One specific challenge was to focus most of the energy on the dance floor, which is something the UPQ-1P does exceptionally well," says Constadinos "Dinos" Charalampous, system engineer at Kraftwerk. "All other systems are time aligned to the UPQs, so the whole venue has even coverage with levels matching the requirements of the different areas. We showed the client predictions of coverage we'd done with MAPP Online Pro (acoustical prediction program), and that clinched the decision." Two additional systems, each with two UPA-1P loudspeakers and a single 600-HP subwoofer, cover the first-level VIP areas, while six UPJ-1P VariO loudspeakers serve the balance of the venue. Signal processing and distribution is assigned to a Galileo loudspeaker management system, and alignment was accomplished using the SIM 3 audio analyzer. In addition to high-impact nightclub sound, the system at Eifel Stadl must cover a broad spectrum of other applications. "The operating company (Gruene Hoelle Betriebsgesellschaft) also uses the space for everything from live music concerts to corporate product presentations," notes Roland Zauner, project manager at Kraftwerk. "The demand for quality was extremely high throughout, so it was clear that Meyer Sound was the only choice for this installation." "According to the operating company," says Zauner, "during the winter season when there are no races, the Eifel Stadl nightclub has become Nürburgring's primary visitor magnet." Hermann Pacher, Eifel Stadl's operations manager, adds: "The system is exceptionally powerful and our visitors especially appreciate the quality of sound. Equally important, both Meyer Sound and Kraftwerk understand the importance of responsive service support." Auto racing has been a driving force of economic activity in the largely rural region around the Nürburgring. In addition to professional races, a portion of the course known as "The North Curve" is open to amateur racing hobbyists. January, 2010 |
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