Wharfedale Pro line array loudspeakers, driven by two DP-4100N power amplifiers, broadcast the wrestling championships in Lausen to thousands of spectators

Wharfedale Pro audio systems recently powered the Swiss national wrestling championships in Lausen, Switzerland. Schwingen, known colloquially as “trouser wrestling”, is a martial art that has been practiced almost exclusively in Switzerland for hundreds of years. An unofficial national sport, the annual NWS Championship is a celebration of this cultural tradition in an open-air venue.

The venue for the June event featured four grandstands. They can host up to 4,500 visitors with two grandstands seating around 1,050 visitors each, and the other two accommodating around 700 visitors each, with additional space for 1,000 people standing.

The installation consisted of 16 Wharfedale Pro WLA-112 line array loudspeakers, powered by two DP-4100N power amplifiers, connected over a Dante network. Two WLA-112s per grandstand were also powered by DP-4100N amplifiers.

The installation was a collaboration between technical event specialists, Powerlight and Pixava, distributors Sacher Music and Wharfedale Pro’s own application and solution manager, Alex Lane.

Lane explained: “The loudspeakers were strategically placed with two WLA-112s on pole stands at around 1.8m high in each corner between the grandstands. An additional two WLA-112s were ground stacked on specially made wooden stands in front of each grandstand. This set-up helped ensure optimal sound coverage, eliminating the need for delay lines for the upper seats of the grandstands.”

The open and expansive nature of the venue posed challenges in terms of speech clarity. Wharfedale Pro’s DP series amplifier presets were crucial for ensuring each event announcement could be heard clearly.

Lane continued: “Through using the WLA-112 voice presets, alongside FIR filtering to fine-tune the system, we could improve the overall audio clarity. This resulted in clear and pleasant speech reproduction.”

Christian Pümpin of Powerlight commented: “The WLA-112s represent a new dimension in sound reinforcement, perfectly suited for this event and many future projects. With the recent addition of the WLA-121SUB 21-inch sub basses, we are also excited about their potential for live bands and DJ performances.”

The event was also broadcast in full by SF DRS, the Swiss national TV station.