Dear DCA Board

[Fran Haring]

We do need to remember that the PA system is set and balanced for a full or near-full stadium. When you get to venues of this size, no PA sounds good when it's empty.

John, I'll agree to disagree with you on this, in that I've worked any number of shows at stadiums that were much more empty than full (Giants Stadium is one)... where the PA system still sounded great.

Heck, the current Rochester stadium has been at best half-full for DCA events.... no one sitting on the "non-concert" side... and the PA system there is pretty effective.

Sometimes the problem with some larger-stadium PA systems is that all the system's speakers are not put in use for an event where the stadium is less than full. (I've encountered that issue a few times.) I don't know if this was the case in Annapolis or not. I do know that we boosted the system volume for Sunday's Finals, and that seemed to help a bit... at least from what I've been told.

Personally, I'd rather have the "full-stadium" ambience of a PA system than risk a tin-can sound of a field-based system.

Edited October 21, 2012 by Fran Haring

[JimF-LowBari]

Yes exactly. I agree. And for people in the concorse to not run around screaming their heads off so the people sitting near the top.of the stands can't hear the softer moments down in the field. But seriously, the super quiet loudspeaker was the worst. Otherwise, a very nice venue.

Sat in the Handicapped row for Alumni ahow and decided not to sit there for 2013 because of the noise issue. At that row the top of the lower section ends and the top is open so the noise gets dircted right behind you and bounces off the bottom of the top section. Once in a while someone would yell but Sun AM there wasn't much crowd in teh concourse. Hate to think about the Sun night crowd down there. Not to mention the deep friers getting started up just before lunch which was gag inducing.

Edited October 21, 2012 by JimF-LowBari