FIFA World Cup Stadiums Feature World-Class Audio with HARMAN Professional

Arena da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil
(Photo Credit: Gabriel Smith)

BRASILIA, Brazil – With hundreds of thousands of fans in the stadiums, not to mention the billions who tune in from across the globe, making sure the sound is perfect for the 2014 FIFA World Cup is no small undertaking. When faced with challenge of delivering the most sophisticated, world-class audio experience possible, from the Amazon basin in the north to the banks of the River Guaiba in the south, eight of the major stadium venues in Brazil’s 12 host cities featured HARMAN’s wide range of audio solutions. In addition, a wide variety of Studer Vista consoles were used for television broadcast of the games.

“From inception through delivery, each component in our family of brands is designed to provide a sophisticated, integrated and affordable audio solution,” said Robert Klesser, National Sales Manager, Install & Cinema, HARMAN Brazil. “As soccer transcends sport and becomes an expression of culture, we are honored to be the brand of choice for so many of the venues hosting matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.”

While the components installed vary by venue, popular products include HARMAN’s IDX communication systems, AKG microphones, BSS signal processing, Crown amplifiers, Soundcraft digital consoles and JBL loudspeakers. The range of stadiums equipped with HARMAN audio solutions is diverse in terms of size, location and age.

Beginning on a plateau in southeastern Brazil, on the Atlantic Coast, Arena de Sao Paulo hosted the opening match between Croatia and Brazil. Built specifically for the World Cup, the facility seats 68,807 and will serve as the new home for Sport Club Corinthians Paulista. Systems integrator Johnson Controls and audio integrator Soundvision outfitted the facility with the IDX communication system, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown CTs amplifiers, JBL Control Contractor ceiling loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Expression digital consoles.

Surrounded by mountains in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, which is inland from Sao Paulo and Rio, Estadio Mineirao is a national monument that will host not only World Cup matches but also numerous matches during the 2016 Summer Olympics as well. Built in 1965, the venue seats 57,400 and recently underwent an extensive renovation that took three years. Johnson Controls systems integrator and Soundvision audio integrator equipped the landmark stadium with an IDX communication system, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers, JBL ceiling loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Compact digital consoles.

Estadio Nacional, in Brazil’s capital city, Brasilia, opened in 1974, was renovated in 2013 and seats 68,009. Systems integrator Siemens and audio integrator Loudness equipped the massive facility with an IDX communication system, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, JBL ceiling loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Compact digital consoles.

Estadio Castelao is located in Fortaleza, Brazil, considered a “fortress” port on the country’s northeast coast, more than 1,500 miles from Rio. The facility, which opened in 1973 and reopened in 2013, seats 58,000. For sound, systems integrator TODO and audio integrator Telem equipped the stadium with an IDX communication system, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown CTs amplifiers, JBL PD5000 Series loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Compact digital consoles.

Arena da Amazonia is in Manaus, Brazil, the capital of the state of Amazonas and, at 2,659 miles from Rio, the furthest north of the host cities. The stadium, which opened in March 2014, seats 42,374. Systems integrator Johnson Controls and audio integrator Soundvision equipped the facility with AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers and JBL Control Contractor Series ceiling speakers.

Arena Pantanal, which opened just two months before the World Cup, is 1,200 miles from Rio, near the Bolivian border and close to the center of South America, in Cuiaba, Brazil. It seats 42,968. Systems integrator Canal Livre and audio integrator Soundvision equipped the facility with an IDX communication system, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers, Crown DCi amplifiers, JBL PD5000 Series loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Expression digital consoles.

Arena Pernambuco is in an economically deprived area on the outskirts of Recife, Brazil, more than 1,400 miles from Rio. With a seating capacity of 42,800, the stadium was opened in 2013 with the hope that it will act as a catalyst for local regeneration long after the World Cup. Systems integrator NEC and audio integrator Telem installed an IDX communication system, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, JBL ceiling loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Compact digital consoles.

Finally, the oldest of the World Cup venues, Arena de Baixada is in Curitba, Brazil, south of Sao Paulo and about 500 miles from Rio. Originally built in 1914, the stadium was completely rebuilt in 1999 and then renovated again for the World Cup. It seats 41,456. Systems integrator NEC and audio integrator Telem equipped the facility with a HARMAN lineup that includes IDX communications systems, AKG microphones, BSS BLU-800 networked signal processors, Crown CTs amplifiers, JBL AWC weatherized compact loudspeakers, JBL PD5000 Series loudspeakers, JBL Control Contractor loudspeakers and Soundcraft Si Expression 3 digital consoles.

HARMAN Professional also had a strong presence in the broadcast elements of the World Cup, with multiple Studer Vista consoles in use for television broadcast of the games. In Rio de Janeiro, a Studer Vista 9 digital console was used to broadcast all 64 games via the TV Globo Network to the Jardim Botanico area. In addition, TV Globo’s OB Van HD3 used a Vista 9 to specifically feed games from Maracana Stadium for live transmission to Jardim Botanico. Projac, the main center of television production for TV Globo, also used a Vista 9 in its OB Van HD8 for live shows related to World Cup events. TV Globo also utilized a pair of Vista 8 digital consoles for television broadcast of live performances centered on the World Cup.

In Sao Paulo and Brasilia, TV Globo’s OB Van HD1 was equipped with a Vista 8 console for the games that were hold in those two cities. A Vista 8 and a Vista 9 were also used in Sao Paolo for live performances related to the World Cup.

Lastly, RCN in Colombia used its OB Van, equipped with a Studer Vista 5 digital console, to broadcast the entirety of the Colombian National Team’s games in the World Cup.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 16,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.3 billion for the twelve months ended June 30, 2014.

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HARMAN’s BSS Audio, Crown and JBL Play for the Majors in San Diego

SAN DIEGO, California – Petco Park, home to Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres, recently took a bold step toward delivering on its dedication to “Creating Major League Memories” as systems integrator Daktronics installed an all-star lineup of standard-setting audio equipment featuring HARMAN components. The facility, which opened in 2004, seats 42,445 and calls itself “The World’s Best Ballpark in America’s Finest City,” is now equipped with HARMAN’s JBL Professional loudspeakers, Crown amplifiers and BSS Audio processing components.

David Sturzenbecher, audio project engineer, and the Daktronics Audio team’s first step in the extensive Petco Park audio retrofit was evaluating the state of the previous system by testing every amplifier’s voltage gain and frequency response. Petco Park has two large amplifier rooms, each with 80 amplifiers, and up to 30 amplifiers in each of six smaller rooms. Daktronics Audio replaced each of the older amplifiers in the smaller rooms with Crown DCi amplifiers; the upgrade to the Crown DCi amplifiers in the larger rooms is ongoing. Featuring Crown’s DriveCore™ technology, the DCi series is more powerful and energy efficient then other large-scale install grade amplifiers and are just 2U rack spaces high.

For loudspeaker testing, Sturzenbecher along with Field Engineer, Doug Dodge took complex impedance measurements of each unit run from the amplifier rooms and listened to every passband of every loudspeaker. Once the needs were determined, JBL became the obvious choice. “The stadium is located only a quarter mile from the ocean, and the loudspeakers on the upper deck are quite exposed and only accessible via scaffolding,” he said. “So in addition to superior sound quality, we selected the JBL PD and AM weatherized boxes because we knew they would be able to handle these conditions without the need for additional service.”

While the sound requirements for most of Petco Park are on a grand scale, the facility does have a number of restaurants and bars that called for a lighter touch. To accommodate those areas, Sturzenbecher augmented the BSS Audio BLU-800 processers already installed throughout the venue by adding BLU-320 devices in the park’s more compact sections. “The BLU-320 provides the preamps for local audio input, but also provides the BLU link source for each local amplifier room,” he said. “The Soundweb London processors were programmed so that mix engineers can monitor any audio signal in the park from the control room.” In the Bud Patio area, Daktronics installed three JBL Control 29AV-1 loudspeakers and, for Hodad’s Restaurant, eight JBL C29AV-WH-1 70V loudspeakers. The lodge, restaurant and the Pier and Hall of Fame bars use Crown DCi 2I600N amplifiers.

The equipment inventory of HARMAN products that Daktronics installed in various areas of the park is extensive. On the Toyota Terrace, 19 JBL PD5322/95-WRX-WH weather-protected loudspeakers were installed. For the outer concourse, Sturzenbecher selected 30 JBL AWC129 all-weather loudspeakers with 70V transformers and two Crown DCi 2I1250N amplifiers. To fill in gaps in the concourse, two JBL PD5322/43-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers, two JBL AM5215/66-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers, powered with four Crown DCi 2I1250N amplifiers.

On the park’s upper deck, Daktronics installed a complete replacement, including 26 JBL PD5322/64 WRX-H-WH weather-protected loudspeakers, 26 JBL AM5215/26-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers, 26 AM5215/95-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers and 23 JBL AM5215/00-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers. Daktronics outfitted the Right Field Budweiser Scoreboard and Budweiser Patio Addition with four JBL PD5322/64-WRX-H-WH weather-protected loudspeakers, five JBL AM5215/26-H-WRX weather-protected loudspeakers, one JBL PD5215/95-WRX-H-WH weather-protected loudspeaker and, for the right outfield rear fill, seven JBL C29AV-WH-1 loudspeakers; the area is powered with a Crown DCi2I1250N 2 Channel amplifier. For the owners’ suites, Daktronics installed 12 JBL C29AV-WH-I weather-protected loudspeakers.

This deployment is also one of the largest to date of HARMAN HiQnet Audio Architect™ audio system design and configuration software, which retains the workflow-centered philosophy first introduced in HiQnet System Architect™ but also incorporates the BSS Audio Soundweb London DSP functionality to combine the power of the open-architecture platform with equally powerful microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers.

By uniting HiQnet System Architect and Soundweb London, HARMAN believes that HiQnet Audio Architect represents the next stage in the evolution of audio systems design software. Sturzenbecher agrees. “HiQnet Audio Architect lets us combine programs and provide intuitive custom panels on a large touchscreen for the operators,” said Sturzenbecher, who installed the Petco Park deployment. “We have more than 200 HiQnet devices on the network, and the status of all of them can be seen by simply glancing at the software.”

The HARMAN lineup even helped address one of the unique acoustic challenges of Petco Park, which is the “Park at the Park” area just outside the stadium where fans can watch the game with their pets. “The main complaint from people in that area was that the sound was unintelligible,” Sturzenbecher said. “So we replaced about a dozen loudspeakers with two JBL CBT 70J+E column loudspeakers. The coverage throughout the park is great and the vocals are very clear.”

HARMAN designs, manufactures and markets premier audio, visual, infotainment and integrated control solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets. With 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson ®, the Company is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a global workforce of 15,200 people and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2014.

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Pick Of The Hits - HARMAN in InfoComm Show Daily, June 2014

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Pick Of The Hits - HARMAN in InfoComm Show Daily, June 2014

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HARMAN’s BSS Audio Introduces Soundweb™ Contrio Platform, Developed to Deliver Game-Changing System Control Capabilities for Networked Audio Applications

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — In a move that redefines what’s possible with networked audio processing capabilities, HARMAN’s BSS Audio today introduced the Soundweb™ Contrio networked control and audio distribution platform at InfoComm 2014. The Soundweb Contrio platform and its two initial products, the Contrio server and Contrio wall controller range, are the first within the Soundweb Contrio family that will ultimately provide enhanced system control capability and audio routing flexibility for a variety of applications. Significantly, these and all future Soundweb Contrio products will be backward compatible with existing BSS Audio Soundweb London devices, providing the widest and most comprehensive choice of audio processing, distribution and control devices available in a single system solution today.

At just 1U rack space, the Soundweb Contrio server is powered by an embedded iteration of HARMAN’s HiQnet™ software. It provides advanced system control, system management and media server functionality at a central point of the network. It offers a comprehensive logic and scripting environment, enables system self-healing and error management, networked audio message playback and system-wide preset and media scheduling.

The Contrio wall controller lineup features four models that, in addition to advanced multiple zone control, can easily be employed in a room-combining and splitting environment. The controllers are available in white or black, US and EU form factors and provide visual feedback for end-users to easily manage and adjust audio operation in a specific environment.

“We developed these products to allow integrators to continue deploying the complete lineup of BSS Audio Soundweb London devices and HARMAN HiQnet Software they have come to depend upon for installed systems, while also leveraging the capability of enhanced control and system monitoring through the first set of our powerful Contrio products,” stated Iain Gregory, market manager, installed sound at HARMAN Signal Processing.

The Soundweb Contrio platform continues the expansion of HARMAN’s Architectural Media Systems, the premier installed sound solution which also features components from Crown amplifiers and is powered by HARMAN HiQnet Audio Architect software.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 15,200 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2014.

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Pick Of The Hits - HARMAN in InfoComm Daily VIP Issue, June 2014

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HARMAN Professional India Highlights Technology and Innovation with Showcase of Latest Audio and Lighting Solutions at PALM Expo India 2014

MUMBAI, India — HARMAN Professional India will exhibit a wide range of its latest audio and lighting products at PALM Expo India 2014 at the Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai, India, Booth D09 (May 29 – 31, 2014). Industry-leading products from AKG, BSS Audio, Crown, dbx, JBL, Lexicon, Martin Lighting and Soundcraft will be showcased at the booth.

HARMAN PALM Live Arena, now in its 5th year will host a variety of India’s top musicians and performers throughout the show including percussion icons Sivamani and Ranjit Barot, Blackstratblues, Bhayanak Maut, Louis Banks, Mihir Joshi and many other artists.

“We are dedicated to offering the very best in pro sound and lighting to the expanding Indian market,” explained Prashant Govindan, Director – India Operations, HARMAN Professional. “And, we will be demonstrating this in the way it really matters – live, on stage at the HARMAN Live Arena as we bring the excitement of the live concert experience right to the show floor.”

A host of new and state of the art HARMAN Professional products will be featured at PALM 2014. Highlights include the following:

JBL VTX Series line arrays have redefined the performance capabilities and installation flexibility of professional sound reinforcement loudspeakers. The VTX Series is JBL’s flagship range of line array loudspeakers and subwoofers for tour and installed sound and incorporates JBL’s most advanced components, materials and technologies. The latest VTX V20 3-way 2x10” high-directivity line array elements, S25 suspendable, cardioid-arrayable dual-15-inch subwoofers and compact, high-performance F Series models will be in use at the HARMAN Palm Live Arena and featured in the booth.

JBL’s CWT128 is a compact 2-way speaker that provides powerful, wide-angle coverage. The CWT128 is ideal for installed sound applications as it delivers full-range sound across a wide listening area, thanks to its Crossfired Waveguide Technology 160-degree horizontal dispersion, yet it takes up only one third of the footprint of two conventional speakers splayed side by side.

Soundcraft Vi3000 – setting a new standard in digital live sound consoles, the Soundcraft Vi3000 offers a host of high-end features including a new ergonomic design, 96 channels to mix, new internal SpiderCore 40-bit floating point DSP, Dante compatibility and much more. The Soundcraft Vi3000 features a control surface with four Vistonics II™ 3-D touchscreen interfaces, making it the only console in its class that can be used by two engineers at the same time.

Also featured at PALM 2014 will be Soundcraft’s ViSi Connect expansion cards, which add a 128-channel expansion bus to a console for connection to stageboxes, personal monitor systems, audio networks and DAWs for live recording.

HiQnet Audio Architect is a common control platform for all devices in a sound system, from microphone to speaker. To facilitate system setup, Audio Architect utilizes graphical, diagrammatic representations of the installed or live sound venue, and the components and loudspeakers in the system. Devices “understand” both their physical and logical placement and the software “learns” how they are to be used, while offering extensive setup and configuration capabilities.

The new dbx DriveRack PA2 Loudspeaker Management System enables a loudspeaker system to be quickly and accurately optimized for the best-possible sound quality. The PA2 is ideal for bands, musicians and artists who carry their own PA and for a wide range of installed sound applications. The DriveRack PA2 makes it easier than ever to set up a system and control it on the fly using an Android®, iOS®, Mac®, or Windows® mobile device or laptop.

Martin MAC Quantum Wash lighting features the unique and expressive Colorganics™ system to create a stunning palette ranging from vivid colors to bright white. With features including 750 watts of RGBW LED power, high-speed movement and a 1:5 zoom, the rugged, compact and efficient MAC Quantum Wash is ideal for creating beautiful wash effects with wide, powerful and bright beams on any stage.

 “PALM 2014 continues to grow every year, as does HARMAN Professional’s presence and commitment to India, making this annual industry event the ideal venue for us to demonstrate the benefits and technologies of our brands for professionals in every segment – be they musicians, sound engineers, DJs or just sound enthusiasts.” said Ankush Agarwal, Director, Business Development and Marketing HARMAN Professional India.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 15,200 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $5.1 billion for the last twelve months ended March 31, 2014.

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HARMAN’s Soundcraft Releases Si Expression/Performer/Compact Software Updates with BSS Soundweb London Control and Other New Features

POTTERS BAR, United Kingdom – HARMAN’s Soundcraft today announced that its new Si Expression/Si Performer V1.6 software and Si Compact V3.1 software is available for download. These new software updates offer several new features and improvements to Soundcraft Si Series consoles, including BSS Soundweb London preamp control, external clocking via option cards, selectable input solo modes, Select follow solo, pre-dynamics global bus send, knob bubble pin, and momentary on.

With the V1.6/V3.1 software update, Si Expression, Si Performer, and Si Compact have powerful new features specifically geared to improve performance for networked audio and monitoring applications. All console software updates can be accessed from the appropriate product page on the Soundcraft website (www.soundcraft.com).

In addition, updated user guides for the Si Dante Card, V1.6/V3.1 software update, and Mini Stagebox 32 are now available from the Soundcraft website.

Additionally, supporting How-To videos on the V1.6/V3.1 features are now available on the Soundcraft YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/soundcraftuk).

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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HARMAN’s BSS Audio Now Shipping BLU-50 Soundweb London Processor

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – HARMAN’s BSS Audio today announced its BLU-50 signal processor is now shipping. The BLU-50 provides a cost-effective addition to the Soundweb™ London family of digital signal processors. The Soundweb London BLU-50 represents a premium, open-architecture solution in the form of a highly flexible, cost-effective and scalable package.

The BLU-50 is a half-rack width processor that offers a fixed configuration of four inputs and four outputs, configurable signal processing, logic processing and BLU link. The device can be powered with the included 12VDC power supply but can accept 12-48VDC via a terminal block connector. The BLU-50 can also be powered with PoE+ via the Ethernet port, allowing the device to be powered, configured, controlled and monitored using a single Cat 5e cable.

The analog inputs of the BLU-50 provide software configurable gain in 6dB steps up to +48dB per channel and software selectable Phantom Power per channel. Phantom Power, Signal Present and Clip information per channel is easily accessible, without the requirement for a PC, from clear front panel LED indication.

“The BLU-50 represents the most versatile and affordable open-architecture processor BSS Audio has ever offered. The BLU-50 underscores our commitment to offering highly scalable processing solutions for a variety of smaller fixed installation applications,” stated, Iain Gregory, Market Manager for installed sound, HARMAN Signal Processing.

The BLU-50 features BLU link, a low latency, fault tolerant digital audio bus of 48 channels, which uses standard Category 5e cabling giving a distance of 100m between compatible devices. Fiber media converters can be used to increase the distance between devices to over 10km (6.2 miles) using single mode fiber.

The BLU-50 can be configured, controlled and monitored from both the newly introduced HiQnet London Architect™ version 6.0 and HiQnet Audio Architect™ version 1.4, to be released soon, and is compatible with other members of the Soundweb London family. Its 48 channel BLU link bus represents channels 1-48 of the larger 256 channel BLU link bus when integrated with the BLU-800, BLU-320, BLU-160, BLU-120, BLU-BIB and BLU-BOB devices. Up to 60 BLU link compatible devices can share channels on a single bus.

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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HARMAN’s Crown Provides Upmarket Sound for New Breuninger Mall In Düsseldorf

DÜSSELDORF, Germany — German upscale retailer Breuninger recently opened a 172,000-square-foot (916,000 square meters) department store in Düsseldorf, located in the city’s Kö-Bogen downtown office and retail complex. The striking new facility merges glass surfaces, steel, stone and curving, organic shapes with trees that are inset into the sides of the building and a grass roof. Shoppers can peruse Breuninger’s luxury selection of fashion, accessories and premium goods – the shoe department alone has 25,000 pairs for sale – while listening to music courtesy of a HARMAN audio system featuring Crown amplifiers, BSS Audio networking components and JBL Professional loudspeakers.

Heilbronn, Germany-based HARMAN distributor Audio Pro Elektroakustik supplied the sound system for all five floors of the massive Breuninger mall. At the heart of the installation are 10 Crown DCi 4|600N and 8|300N networkable power amplifiers, which offer networked monitoring and control using HARMAN HiQnet™ Audio Architect system software and BSS Audio BLU link digital transport.

“The new Crown DCi Series amplifiers are ideal for this application because they can be seamlessly networked with the BSS Audio signal processing components, deliver plenty of clean power and can be configured for use in a very large-scale distributed audio system such as the one installed at Breuninger,” said Carsten Peter, Product Manager for Audio Pro Heilbronn.

The amplifiers, loudspeakers and entire audio system are networked using a BSS Audio Soundweb London BLU-160 signal processor with digital audio bus and three BLU-BIB break-out box input expanders. Eleven BSS BLU 6 wall-mount controllers and eight BLU 8 wall controllers are located throughout the Breuninger mall.

Although they are extremely powerful, the Crown DCi 4|600N and 8|300N amplifiers are just 2U rack spaces high, enabling all of the amplifiers to be installed in one equipment rack, with all the BSS Audio networking components located in an adjoining rack.

Covering 172,000 square feet, over 800 JBL loudspeakers were deployed, including approximately 600 JBL Control 24CT in-ceiling loudspeakers, more than 150 Control19CST in-ceiling subwoofers and Control 65P/T full-range pendant loudspeakers.

The Crown DCi Series’ compact size, high efficiency and superior sound quality are made possible by HARMAN’s proprietary DriveCore™ amplifier chip, which combines the amplifier driver stage into the power output along with additional audio-signal functions, yet is about the size of a postage stamp. DCi Series amplifiers can be operated into 8-, 4- or 2-ohm loads and offer direct drive “constant voltage” capabilities for 70vrms and 100vrms amplification without the need for a step-up transformer, yielding higher audio quality in distributed audio applications. In addition, the amplifiers incorporate an exclusive Global Power Supply and a universal AC input, enabling their use in any country.

“The new HARMAN audio system fits perfectly into the store’s luxury environment,” Peter concluded. “Breuninger offers its customers a high-end retail experience in every respect, and the system is an extension of that commitment.”

HARMAN designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of infotainment and audio solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson® and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of 14,800 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.7 billion for the last twelve months ended December 31, 2013.

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Pick Of The Hits - HARMAN in Frankfurt Daily, March 2014

 

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