CLIENT
Jack Morton Public Events
LOCATION
Athens, Greece
YEAR
2004
PROJECT TYPE
Olympic Opening & Closing Ceremonies
Scope
Audio system design and show replay systems
Services Provided
- →Stadium audio system design
- →Dual-redundant control system architecture
- →Multi-channel replay and timecode synchronisation
- →System modelling and optimisation
- →Broadcast-aware signal design
- →Collaboration with international suppliers
The Brief
In August 2004, the Olympic Games returned to Athens for the first time since the inaugural modern Games in 1896. The scale and symbolism of the moment were unmistakable.
Scott Willsallen was the Audio Designers for Norwest Productions for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, working closely with Jack Morton Public Events.
The brief was to create a world-class live event experience for 80,000 spectators in the stadium, 12,000 athletes on the field of play, and a global broadcast audience exceeding one billion viewers. Every moment needed to translate both in the arena and on screen.
The Challenge
When you’re designing for 80,000 people in a stadium and a global broadcast audience, the margin for error is effectively zero. The experience in the bowl has to work, and the broadcast has to stay solid throughout.
In 2004, achieving full system redundancy at this level was far from routine. A single point of failure was not an option. The solution was to design a 100% dual-redundant control system, ensuring that no individual component or signal path could interrupt programme audio.
This was achieved by implementing two completely independent signal distribution networks, one digital and one analogue. The two systems ran in parallel and only converged at the field nodes. For its time, this level of redundancy was a significant undertaking and became a defining feature of the project.
Our Approach
The emphasis was on building a system that was robust, straightforward to manage and accurately synchronised throughout the show.
System modelling was carried out in EASE to predict coverage and refine loudspeaker positioning within the stadium environment. A flown McCauley loudspeaker system, supplied locally by ENTTECH SA, provided upper bowl coverage, while ground-stacked EAW KF860 systems from Norwest Productions reinforced covered the lower bowl. Nexo PS15 loudspeakers were deployed for delay and under-balcony coverage.
Front of House control was built around mirrored Yamaha PM1D consoles, while monitors utilised newly released Yamaha PM5D consoles, also in mirrored configuration. Signal transport relied on Optocore, with Lake Contour processors handling system processing duties.
Show control and replay were delivered via a dual-redundant Pyramix system, providing multi-channel audio playback and timecode synchronisation. This structure formed the backbone of the ceremony’s cueing system and established a methodology that would influence subsequent Olympic productions.
Athens 2004 marked Scott Willsallen’s first Olympic Games as Audio Designer, and the solutions developed during the project helped shape future ceremony audio workflows.
Technical Highlights:
Audio Design
Mirrored Yamaha PM1D consoles at FOH
Mirrored Yamaha PM5D consoles for monitors
Dual-redundant Pyramix replay and timecode systems
Optocore signal transport
Lake Contour signal processors
Flown McCauley system supplied by NTEC SA
Ground-stacked EAW KF860 supplied by Norwest Productions
Nexo PS15 delay loudspeakers
100% dual-redundant digital and analogue signal networks
EASE modelling for stadium coverage prediction
Show Control
Dual-redundant Pyramix replay and timecode systems
The Results
The Athens 2004 Olympic Ceremonies were delivered successfully to both the stadium and the global broadcast audience.
The fully redundant control architecture operated as intended throughout, protecting programme audio across both ceremonies. The replay and synchronisation structure developed for Athens went on to influence how large-scale ceremony control systems were approached in subsequent years.
For Auditoria, it marked the first Olympic Games designed by Scott Willsallen and established working methods that continued into future international ceremonies.
Acknowledgements
Our Client
Jack Morton Public Events
Our Team
Scott Willsallen – Audio Designer
Key Collaborators
Norwest Productions
ENTTECH SA
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