Italy’s Palazzetto dello Sport Paolo Ferraris Delivers New Audio System with Q-Sys

Casale Monferrato, Italy (January 31, 2012) – QSC Audio Products’ distributor in Italy, AudioLink, has delivered a brand new audio system for the Palazzetto dello Sport Paolo Ferraris in Casale Monferrato, based upon the Q-Sys™ integrated system platform, KLA Series active line arrays, and K Series active loudspeakers. Informally known as the PalaFerraris, the multi-purpose venue in northwestern Italy caters to a range of indoor sports, concerts and other events. More importantly, it is home to newly-promoted Serie A basketball team A.S. Junior Casale.

The past year has been a memorable one for the team. In 2011 Junior Casale were crowned outright champions of LegaDue and, in a dramatic playoff final, clinched promotion to the top division of Italian basketball. As a top-level team needs a top-level arena, Casale Monferrato city council commissioned a major renovation of the PalaFerraris, increasing the seating capacity to 3,510 and installing a brand-new, state-of-the-art sound system.

When it came to finding an audio control system with the power and flexibility to meet the diverse needs of the venue, the Q-Sys platform was the obvious choice. Designed with the technical support of experienced independent audio-visual consultant Angelo Rovero, the entire PalaFerraris audio system is built around a single Q-Sys Core 1000 unit. With all processing, monitoring and routing centrally controlled by Q-Sys, the system can seamlessly handle music, pre-recorded messages, live announcements and in-game sound effects, maintaining the highest audio quality throughout.

Taking ease of use to next level, the entire system is able to be controlled from an iPad running the Q-Sys Controller App and Q-Sys Designer software, which allows the user to assemble custom user control interfaces (UCIs), placing practically any element of the system at his or her fingertips. At PalaFerraris, an operator can now monitor and adjust levels, switch source selection and trigger music and jingles instantly using the iPad's touch screen.

"Q-Sys was the ideal solution for the PalaFerraris. The totally flexible architecture of the Q-Sys Core and the intuitive nature of the Q-Sys Designer software mean that configuring the entire system to fit the needs of the venue is exceptionally quick and easy,” says Stefano Cantadori, head of AudioLink, “Our on-site specialist Giammario Piumatti, who is there to assist the client with programming the system, loves it because any last-minute ideas and requests can so easily be integrated, just as the system can easily be adapted in the future to cope with the evolving needs of the venue."

To fully realise this potential, AudioLink suggested that PalaFerraris take a look at one of the newest additions to the House of K – the KLA Series active line array. Working together with installation contractors Testa Marco C., a total of four KLA line arrays, each composed of three KLA12 active, two-way  loudspeaker elements, were mounted above the main stands, delivering incredible power and projection without restricting the view of any of the spectators. An additional complement of K Series K10 and K8 active loudspeakers were deployed at ground level to cover the brand-new court-side stands and provide discreet sound reinforcement around the court itself.

On completion of the project, both the design team and the PalaFerraris' in-house technicians said they were very satisfied with the results obtained from the Q-Sys platform, KLA Series line arrays and K Series loudspeakers.