US stadium installs largest-ever permanent Panther system

The world’s largest permanent system of Meyer Sound’s Panther speakers has been installed at the Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, Minnesota.

The home stadium of National Hockey League side Minnesota Wild has been equipped with a new reinforcement system built around 96 of the large-format, linear line array loudspeakers, which were supplied by New York-based Sound Associates.

The speakers replaced a point-source system that was installed when the arena opened in 2000.

Jim Pfitzinger, the IATSE Local 13 engineer who mixes Minnesota Wild’s games and was a consultant on the upgrade project, says: “We had a low-bid system with old technology. The top-team management had heard systems at newer arenas and noticed the difference. Our system was still intelligible and serviceable, but it lacked real impact. No matter how hard you flogged it, you could only get so much out of it.”

Pfitzinger was asked to fast-track a new system that would be equal to or better than any other NHL arena. He consulted Sound Associates’ executive vice-president Domonic Sack on possible options at a time when industry supplies were tight. Some makers could not commit to delivering the preferred products on the tight timeline, but Meyer Sound was able to fit the Wild project into its production schedule. The entire system was wired, hung and tuned in 11 days. 

The fan experience at Wild Minnesota games was the overriding consideration in specifying a Panther line array solution, but the system will be used for dozens of other events throughout the year, including high school and collegiate sports tournaments, a rodeo and skating shows, plus special events and large-scale meetings associated with the adjoining convention centre.