Rupert Neve Designed Portico 5045 Popular for Referee Mics

valero-alamo-bowl-low.JPGBUENA PARK, Calif.—The new Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5045 Primary Source Enhancer is becoming increasingly popular as an added tool for audio engineers on referee mics during sporting events, as recently witnessed by the installation of a unit at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, Texas for the Valero Alamo Bowl. Clarity Media San Antonio installed the unit at the 66,000-seat Dome. The Alamo Dome joins other notable sports facilities where the unit has been used or are installed including Notre Dame, Northwestern, Green Bay Lambeau Field, Cowboy Stadium, Reliant Field in Houston, University of Phoenix Stadium, and UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

The request to Clarity came after a call from Ben Sturgis, Sr. Audio Visual Tech, Convention, Sports, & Entertainment Facilities, to Ben Strizu, Co-Owner, of Clarity Media Group. “Clarity had been analyzing the Dome's sound system overall because they were having problems with their ref mics,” states Strizu. “After hearing a demo by Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, we felt the unit would fulfill the Alamo Dome's needs.”

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Once Sturgis had an opportunity to hear the unit, he was hooked. “We use the RND 5045 on referee mics because the biggest issue we were fighting was not getting enough gain out of their mics without feeding back,” states Sturgis. “After Clarity installed the unit, it was the first time we could turn down the refs' mics as opposed to turning them up. The 5045 gave us an additional 10db of gain before feedback.” In addition to sporting events, the RND 5045 is used for public address announcements, trade shows held at the venue, and whenever handheld mics are required.

The Dome also houses a Yamaha M7CL digital console, and in the 7,000-seat Illusions Theatre located at the north end of the complex, Clarity Media installed a NEXO GEO S12 line array used as a portable system. The GEO S set up is configured with six boxes per side, PS10s for front fills, and two NXAmps (one 4x4 and one 4x1) power the entire system.

For more information on Clarity Media Group, visit www.claritymediagroup.net.

For more information on the Rupert Neve Designed RND 5045, Yamaha M7CL digital console, and NEXO products, visit www.yamahaca.com.

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PHOTO ID: Ben Sturgis

About Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.:

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) provides a full line of integrated professional audio products offering complete systems solutions for the broadcast, sound reinforcement/installed sound, touring, commercial recording, and post production markets. With the addition of NEXO to the product line, the company remains the official U.S. and Canadian distributor for all NEXO speaker models. YCAS offers comprehensive in-house and field product training for its customers, a dedicated dealer network, and 24/7 technical support.