A second-hand PA at the end of its life
Inconsistent, unclear coverage across the stands
Entertainment and voice from one rig
An 18,816-capacity ground to cover
Life-safety standards to meet
Fallstudie
Nachricht
Notts County F.C., Meadow Lane, Nottingham
The oldest club in the game — now heard in every seat.
Notts County is the oldest professional football club in the world, playing at Meadow Lane since 1910. By the end of the 2022-23 season the second-hand PA the club had run for years was no longer fit for purpose, and fans were asking for better sound. The brief was a single system that could carry matchday entertainment across an 18,816-seat ground and meet every life-safety requirement.
Case Study
Stadium / Arena
Electro-Voice
Dynacord
Europe
Life Safety
Multi-zone
Notts County F.C., Meadow Lane, Nottingham
The oldest club in the game — now heard in every seat.
Case Study
Stadium / Arena
Electro-Voice
Dynacord
Europe
Life Safety
Multi-zone
Notts County is the oldest professional football club in the world, playing at Meadow Lane since 1910. By the end of the 2022-23 season the second-hand PA the club had run for years was no longer fit for purpose, and fans were asking for better sound. The brief was a single system that could carry matchday entertainment across an 18,816-seat ground and meet every life-safety requirement.
- Location
- Nottingham, England
- Install partner
- UK Audio Engineering
- Product highlights
- Electro-Voice EVH-1152D, EVF-2151D · Dynacord IPX10:8, IPX5:4, MXE5 · SONICUE
The venue
A historic ground that had outgrown its sound
Notts County was established in 1862 and is a founder member of the football league — the kind of history that draws a large, dedicated fan base. The club has played its home games at Meadow Lane since 1910, and the current all-seater stadium was built in the early 1990s.
When the stands were completed, the club bought a second-hand sound system from another club. It worked at first, but by the end of the 2022-23 season the system was no longer fit for purpose, and fans were calling on Notts County to invest in better sound.
“There were a variety of comments from fans. Some said the sound wasn't clear, others thought it was sometimes too loud and disappeared. It was just inconsistent, and we felt that it was difficult to engage properly with fans.”
Martin BakerFinance Consultant, Notts County
The challenge
Carry the matchday — and meet every safety standard
Having already added large screens to the stadium, Notts County could see what AV brings to a matchday. Pairing those screens with clear, consistent sound would help build the atmosphere before a game and carry on-pitch interviews at half time and after the final whistle.
The new system had to do two jobs at once: deliver entertainment across an 18,816-seat ground, and meet the life-safety requirements that come with a stadium of that size.
The solution
One networked system, designed from the ground up
Notts County brought in local systems integrator UK Audio Engineering to design the system, with support from the Electro-Voice and Dynacord UK office. With no stadium drawings to work from, the team measured every stand, the step count, and the height of the roof, then designed acoustically for the space.
The design uses 40 Electro-Voice EVH-1152D 15-inch two-way coaxial loudspeakers and 18 EVF-2151D subwoofers, driven by five Dynacord IPX10:8 and one IPX5:4 fixed-installation amplifiers. A pair of Dynacord MXE5 Matrix Mix Engines handles processing and control, recalling presets for different matchday situations and tying into the life-safety system over GPIO. SONICUE Sound System Software controls and monitors every loudspeaker through a custom GUI built for the venue's staff.
- 40 Electro-Voice EVH-1152D 15-inch two-way coaxial loudspeakers
- 18 Electro-Voice EVF-2151D subwoofers
- Five Dynacord IPX10:8 and one IPX5:4 fixed-installation amplifiers
- A pair of Dynacord MXE5 Matrix Mix Engines
- SONICUE Sound System Software with a custom GUI
“We worked with the UK Audio Engineering team to design the system from the ground up. There were no drawings available for the stadium, so we measured all the stands, the step count and the height of the roof. From this we could design acoustically what would fit best into the space we had.”
Arthur AchardSenior Sales Manager, Electro-Voice and Dynacord
The result
Sound that can rival the top flight
The new system marks a clear step up from the one it replaced. Presets recalled through the MXE5 engines let staff match the sound to each moment of a matchday, and the connection to the life-safety system keeps entertainment and critical communications working together.
For UK Audio Engineering, the result stands comparison with grounds well above Notts County's league — and the club expects a more enjoyable matchday for everyone in the stands.
Clear, consistent sound across the ground
Entertainment and voice from one system
Preset recall for every matchday situation
Life-safety integration over GPIO
Staff-friendly control through a custom GUI
Ready to upgrade your venue?
For integrators & consultants
Start with a system design
Send your floor plan or project brief and get a tailored system recommendation, including key components, coverage guidance.
For integrators & consultants
Start with a system design
Send your floor plan or project brief and get a tailored system recommendation, including key components, coverage guidance.
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