SOUNDING OFF AT SUPER BOWL XLII

(February 4, 2008) As sunny Arizona welcomed Super Bowl visitors to a state-of-the-art football experience at the University of Phoenix Stadium, fans got a chance to see – and hear – the most modern technology in the sports presentation industry. The first stadium in North America to feature a retractable roof and with a roll-out grass field encompassing two acres, the University of Phoenix Stadium is the home of the Arizona Cardinals, as well as the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

JBL VerTec® loudspeaker arrays from Harman’s Professional Division were on hand to ensure that every fan experienced clear and powerful sound during the halftime entertainment segment which this year featured rocker Tom Petty. A 36-person audio team including, veteran sound professional Patrick Baltzell, was on hand to configure, test, deploy and operate a sophisticated, portable sound system on the field.

As the audio system contractor, ATK/Audiotek (Valencia, CA) was responsible for setting up and managing the pro-audio gear needed to coordinate the live talent needs, the broadcast sound feed requirements and the in-house audience sound reinforcement for the 63,400-seat stadium.

“Our proprietary mobile cart system in use here has proven itself at previous major special events, and is custom-designed around JBL’s VT4889 speaker enclosures,” observed Mike Stahl, president, ATK. “The JBL line-array speakers make our crew’s job easier. In addition to offering premium-fidelity, high-output and predictable coverage, JBL’s VerTec line-array elements are considerably lighter weight than other options. They give us an undeniable competitive edge.”