EUROVISION SONG CONTEST LINES UP WITH
JBL VERTEC FROM UNIVERSAL BALTIC SOUND

RIGA, LATVIA - May 24, 2003 - Eurovision Song Contest 2003, held in Skonto Hall for a live audience of over 6,000 persons, relied on a JBL VerTec™ system supplied by Latvia’s own UBS (Universal Baltic Sound). In conjunction with Sweden’s DM Audio, UBS was contracted to provide sound reinforcement for the production. An audience of more than 100 million watched the contest on television in 42 countries. Latvian Television was the main organizer, and coordinated the final award activities that resulted from the work of more than 2,500 technicians and talent coordinators who staged regional contests in 26 different countries.

Click for High Resolution ZIP File

Audio technicians began setting up the sound system on May 8th, more than two weeks prior to the televised event. An extensive production and broadcast-interface technical period was followed by a full ten days of rehearsals and the live event. “Working on such a prestigious project, the entire audio production team was aware that careful advance planning and a thorough pre-show checkout would be vital to meet the producers’ expectations,” related Edmunds Zazerskis, UBS owner and chief loudspeaker system engineer for the event. “Our loudspeaker system goes in very quickly. The real issue on this type of production is creating the temporary interfaces for the various remote audio and video trucks, and giving all of the talent the time necessary to become comfortable with the performance space, stage set and the choreography.”

The triple-array main sound reinforcement system set up by UBS for Skonto Hall was configured with left, center and right arrays of JBL VT4889 three-way line array elements. These were used in conjunction with VT4880 dual-18” subwoofer line array elements. The left and right arrays each consisted of 8 VT4889 and 8 VT4880 units, with 6 VT4889 units in the center. UBS relied on BSS FDS-366 digital loudspeaker system controllers for managing the various speaker arrays. Additionally, signal-delayed arrays were employed utilizing an additional 4 VT4889 units for each. In-fill requirements were handled by JBL SP212 two-way systems along with UBS’ own custom JBL-loaded three-way enclosures.

“The producer’s goals on this event were to get a near-field, hi-fi listening experience for the entire audience in a large assembly hall,” noted Zazerskis. “High intelligibility for both male and female vocalists, along with accurate reproduction of recorded program material, was very important. The VerTec line array system met the challenge extremely well. There was general agreement by executives in attendance that the pre-recorded playback tracks sounded better than they have in the past.”

Click for High Resolution ZIP File

“We received many congratulations from the producers, talent managers and audience for the sound of the show this year,” commented Zazerskis. “Our sound system design faced many challenges, and met them well. The VerTec line array system package performed flawlessly. It is easy to see why it has become so popular for use at major televised shows and awards ceremonies. Even when the hosts were out in front of the main overhead arrays on a smaller thrust stage, the board operators had no feedback problems at all.”

UBS’s efforts for 2003 Eurovision Song Contest Finals were not confined to just the main audience area. As loudspeaker system contractor, the company also provided sound reinforcement needs for the Press Center, backstage area, and artists’ lounge. A combination of JBL Sound Power models and JBL EON15-G2 self-powered systems were employed for these purposes. The company also was called upon to cover the large outdoor-audience area served by video screens, where local residents had a chance to register their own approval for favored songs from a crowd position along the riverbank. UBS supplied JBL HLA 4895 and 4897 horn-loaded arrays for this area.

The Eurovision Song Contest, organized by the state-run TV stations of European nations to find the most popular new song in Europe, has been running since 1956. It was devised as a way for the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) to produce a program that could be made for the whole of Europe, thus reducing broadcast and production costs. Every member of the EBU is invited to enter a song into the contest. This song is then performed at a location in the country of the previous year’s winner. A panel of 16 in each country judges the songs, and votes are given to their favorites. This year’s winner was Turkey, so Eurovision Song Contest 2004 will be hosted in Ankara or Istanbul.

Headquartered in Northridge, California, JBL Professional is the world’s leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of professional loudspeakers for recording and broadcast, musician, cinema, touring sound, commercial sound and contracting applications. JBL Professional is part of the Harman International network of professional and consumer audio companies. For complete product and company information, go to the JBL Pro website at www.jblpro.com.