Veltins-Arena with Q-SYS.

The stadium previously known as “Arena Auf Schalke” is one of the most prestigious stadiums in Germany, located in Gelsenkirchen (North Rhine-Westphalia). The venue’s name changed to “Veltins-Arena” in 2005. The stadium is home to the very traditional soccer club FC Schalke 04. The venue opened in 2001 and has a capacity of 62,271 seats. The most remarkable character of the stadium is the unique construction of a completely retractable roof to change from an open arena to a completely closed venue. Therefore, it is also very popular for large concerts and touring productions.

The arena hosts about 2.4 million guests per year and expectations are very high. Highest sound quality is a must for multipurpose venues such as this. The scope of use is extensive and the entertainment aspect of soccer games is becoming as important as the use of the audio system for concerts, or any other kind of event.

System requirements:

  • d&b system integration with Q-SYS for general operation and monitoring
  • Comprehensive redundancy with signal fallback and seamless hardware exchange /replacement in case of a faulty amplifier
  • Switch between different event scenarios with a single button
  • 24/7 system control and monitoring for audio signal input and load monitoring (status of every loudspeaker)
  • SPL reduction only for the press area
  • Decrease reflections from empty stands
  • Special loudspeaker colors and weather-resistant finish

Audio solution

ArrayProcessing simulation
ArrayCalc Main (left) array overview
  • d&b ArrayProcessing individually optimizes level and tonality for the entire audience in different areas
  • Individual level correction over distance to reduce reflections from walls and glass panels
  • Frequency response correction due to changing air absorption (depending on temperature and humidity)
  • Smooth transition from main system to delay systems
  • Switchable ArrayProcessing presets to reduce direct sound level for press stall (less background noise on the broadcast signal) without interfering the audio performance for the audience nearby
...We've invested in the future and probably the best system available on the market today. d&b convinced us right from the beginning with the preparation and in the shootout with the best sound performance and during the commissioning with our integrator. We are very delighted with the result and proud about what we archived...
Bernd Funke, Technical Director Veltins-Arena

Integration solutions with general processing platform Q-SYS

  • Input monitoring of audio signal and Fallback function in case of signal failure
  • Load monitoring of loudspeaker status every 100 seconds
  • Switchable AmpPresets for different event scenarios
  • Amp failure detection with seamless signal switch to spare amplifier in case of general error, loss of network connections, amp module failure, power loss, etc.
share this site