SSE Audio was recently contracted to supply and package the audio and AV systems required by Extreme E, a FIA-sanctioned international off-road racing series that uses specially developed electric SUVs to race in remote parts of the world, such as the Amazon rainforest or the Arctic.
All racing locations are chosen to raise awareness about aspects of climate change. In order to keep the carbon footprint of the series to a minimum all the equipment, including the cars is transported around the world on a former Royal Mail Ship, the RMS St Helena.
SSE Audio was contracted to supply and package the audio and AV systems required by the series in four key race day locations: hospitality where VIPs and guests are entertained, media where the press can view the action and press conferences are held, and catering where the entire tour is fed and the podium at the end of each race.
"The entire system gets packed into a shipping container and is loaded on to the boat for transportation to each location,” said SSE sales executive, Mark Day.
“Therefore absolutely everything had to be flightcased. Some of the locations are pretty inhospitable and the kit is spending weeks at a time on a ship at sea, so tour grade packaging was an essential part of the system."
L-Acoustics was the loudspeaker of choice for all locations – all selected from the X-Series coaxial point source range. In the hospitality area DJs keep the guests entertained on a Pioneer CDJ 2000 setup with L-Acoustics X8s, supplemented by a pair of powered SB15P subs.
On the podium a pair of L-Acoustics X12s deliver the speeches and announcements, while the media centre is equipped with four L-Acoustics X8s.
SSE Audio also supplied three Allen & Heath QU mixing consoles to handle vocals at press conferences and hospitality functions, with Sennheiser EW100 G4 wireless systems providing the inputs. An analogue Soundcraft 12-channel mixer provides playback mixing in the catering area.
For the media centre, 75" Samsung video screens have been specified, with associated stands and hardware.
The entire system has been packaged by SSE Audio's in-house manufacturing department, Sigma Fabrications, which has supplied flight cases for the entire system, from trunks for cables and stands, through to custom-made screen cases that can house two 75" video displays.
"We chose to use SSE as they could supply the complete package we required, a one stop shop so to say, which included everything from the packaging and cabling through to the audio system and video displays,” said Extreme-E.
“With their touring experience we were confident they would specify a package that was up to the rigours of travelling around the world by ship. Overall we're delighted with the system SSE has supplied."