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Sutter Health Park upgrades with Martin Audio

Situated in West Sacramento, California, Sutter Health Park - home to the River Cats baseball team and “A’s” (Athletics) - has undergone a major infrastructure upgrade for the coming season, designed to enhance the fan experience and improve game-day technology.

This includes a strategically enhanced sound system for the bowl - based around Martin Audio CDD and SX subwoofer components, as well as process-controlled amplification from Focusrite sister brand Linea Research, in the 14,000-cap arena. The River Cats had acknowledged that their 25-year-old system badly needed enhancing.

Locally based Martin Audio partner Sacramento Production Services (SACPS), who have a long history in servicing the facility, were brought in, initially to project manage for a third party before later being handed the full role of system integrator, as the time frame for completion narrowed.

Sales & Production Manager Keith Wackford and his long-term associate and project manager, Anthony Brown, undertook a site survey and immediately recognised the imperfections - aside from the tired PA components. Budget and time frame restrictions would not allow for replacement of the main bowl speakers. “But with the addition of the new Linea Research amplification (LR-44C10M-Dante), it’s as if they purchased new speakers”, says Wackford.

“Elsewhere, it was a case of what would give us the best bang for the buck”, he continues. “We knew the system had always been lacking in subwoofers and if we were going to put in subs, we also needed to ensure the (infill and outfill) boxes would keep up.” As a long-term Martin Audio partner they contacted Will Harris and Jim Sage at Martin Audio USA, who recommended the SX115.

“The 25-year-old outfield speakers on light poles were in really bad shape”, acknowledges Wackford, “and although difficult to get access to, we knew we had to change them and replace them with (weatherised) CDD15W-WR. For how high up they are, everyone is absolutely impressed.” In fact, one of the speakers is close to 80 ft. Of the CDD deployment Wackford says: “The CDD15 gave us a little more low end and full range in the outfield, as the bowl PA doesn’t really reach out to there.”

Distributed around the bowl, the subs themselves are mounted on I-Beams to the underside of the VIP suites, while thirty CDD10W-WR bowl fill speakers were added in conjunction with the subs. After consideration, they opted for one per each seating section, running right round the facility. “One of the reasons we went for the CDD10 over the CDD8 is because it has a yoke, and we wanted something that would allow us to pan and tilt in an easy manner”, says Wackford.

In addition to the amplifiers and speakers, SACPS upgraded the mixing console, as well as the main system processor and touch screen interfaces to Symetrix. “Symetrix allowed us to use the Linea Research Intelligent modules bringing the amplifier telemetry data right onto the users’ touch screen remote - giving the user information as to what the nine LR-44CC status and signals are doing”, explains Wackford. “The system is all running Dante with an analogue fail over from the console to the Symetrix, and to all nine LR-44C amps around the facility.”

Better known as “Raley Field”, the site itself is directly adjacent to downtown Sacramento, with a whole neighbourhood growing up around it. “We had a crazy speed limit of, I think 85 dB, A-weighted 15 ft from a source”, says Wackford. “So trying to do line array from the outfield or subs up high wouldn’t work. We had to keep things contained within the ballpark as there are a lot of new apartments with high rise buildings springing up. Everything distributed as close to the listening area as possible is critical.” System feeds include DJs on the concourse, taking advantage of the new audio inputs, and there are plans for future live entertainment. Main PA and pre-recorded live safety messages also run through the system.

Anthony Brown acted as project manager; onsite programming and networking were provided by Brian Webber, while due to the tight time frame Alive Media were brought in to provide on-site installation, wiring and labour. Finally, Symetrix programmer Nick Danielson did “an amazing job” according to Wackford.

(Photos: Focusrite Group)

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