NORTHRIDGE, California – In anticipation of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the Richmond Olympic Oval officially opened on December 12 and 13 with a variety of speeches and musical performances. Audio rental system provider SW Audio & Visual supplied the live sound reinforcement system, which consisted of JBL VERTEC® line arrays. The grand opening was broadcast live on the CTV Network across British Columbia.
Located in the city of Richmond, adjacent to Vancouver, the Richmond Olympic Oval is a 512,000 square foot, multi-use facility, with capacity for 8,000 spectators and includes a 400-meter speed skating track. The Oval will be used at the 2010 Olympics for all the speed skating events. 
With an eye on providing a sound reinforcement system that would accommodate the needs of the live audience as well as those watching on television, SW Audio & Visual deployed a JBL VERTEC line array system.
“Interfacing with the broadcast element is always a challenge,” said Calvin McCarthy, President of SW Audio & Visual. “We have to make sure that there is a proper balance between the sound for the live audience and the audience watching on television. You need to have a certain level of control over the live system.”
The system featured line arrays in a left-right configuration, ground-stacked to keep the audio system away from the main sightlines. Each array contained five VERTEC VT4888DP midsize, powered line array elements with DrivePackâ„¢ technology. Complementing each array were two VT4880 full-size, arrayable subwoofers.
“VERTEC is our exclusive brand for line arrays and once again worked flawlessly on this event,” said McCarthy. “The sound quality is exceptional, as is the arrayability. They're very easy to quickly rig and configure.”
For more information on SW Audio & Visual, please visit www.sw-online.com