In August 2025, SC Telstar took to the pitch at BUKO Stadium for their first Eredivisie home match in nearly five decades.
The club, known as the Witte Leeuwen (the White Lions), had secured promotion from the Eerste Divisie in June 2025, returning to the highest tier of Dutch professional football for the first time since 1978. Their 6,000-capacity stadium in Velsen-Zuid, North Holland, had to meet the operational and acoustic standards required for an Eredivisie match from day one. This requirement immediately exposed the limitations of the existing PA system, which was outdated, difficult to control and no longer capable of delivering the speech intelligibility and coverage consistency demanded by a full stadium.
The project was entrusted to Van Brienen Audiovisueel BV. Founded in 2014 by Jeroen van Brienen, Van Brienen AV specialises in professional audiovisual installations across commercial, hospitality and sports environments.
Van Brienen AV already had an existing relationship with SC Telstar and BUKO Stadium. We know the venue, the people involved and the practical demands of matchday operation. With such a tight deadline, there was no time for lengthy decision-making processes. Trust, direct communication and technical clarity were essential, explains Jeroen van Brienen, owner and director of Van Brienen Audiovisueel BV.
The project was confirmed on 24 July 2025 and installation began four days later, with the first Eredivisie home match scheduled for 15 August. This provided less than three weeks from project confirmation until the system had to be match-ready.
Van Brienen AV began by developing a coverage plan using EASE acoustic modelling software, with the aim of predicting loudspeaker coverage and speech intelligibility across the different areas of the stadium before installation began. Several design options were assessed, with the final solution selected to provide the best balance between acoustic performance, practical installation routes and the time available.
"We started by focusing on what the system absolutely needed to achieve", explains Van Brienen. "With only three weeks available, there was no room for unnecessary complexity".
The design prioritised speech intelligibility, coverage consistency, reliable zone control and a configuration that could be commissioned quickly. Amplifier supply was handled through Mennegat, the Dutch Powersoft distributor, whose rapid response and fast delivery were critical to keeping the project on schedule.
The new system is built around two AtlasIED Atmosphere AZM8-D audio processors, which form the central routing and zoning platform for the complete installation. One unit manages the four indoor zones, while the second handles the four outdoor stadium stands.
Dante audio signals and system control are distributed via Netgear network switches, providing the installation with a clean digital backbone and reducing the need for long analogue cable runs across the stadium.
Amplification is provided by two Powersoft Unica 8K8 and one Powersoft Unica 5K4. These are third-generation platform amplifiers that combine multi-channel output with onboard DSP, integrated Dante/AES67 networking and ArmoníaPlus control capability.
The system covers eight distinct zones. Four indoor areas serve the stadium's hospitality and function spaces, including a DJ and party room, a bar area, a presentation and dinner room, and a secondary bar area.
The four outdoor zones cover the main/west stand, the north stand, the east stand and the south/away stand. Each zone is configured and driven independently within the Powersoft Unica platform to accommodate the different acoustic characteristics of the open stadium stands and enclosed interior spaces.
During commissioning, Powersoft's ArmoníaPlus software was used.
We used ArmoníaPlus to create the speaker files, configure the DSP and set the limiters correctly. This was important to achieve the right performance from each loudspeaker zone and to protect the system during operation, explains Van Brienen.
Following configuration, the system was measured on site using an STI meter. The measured intelligibility values matched the results predicted in EASE software prior to installation, confirming that the design targets had been achieved.
A team of six installers carried out the work, with four professionals on site every day throughout the installation period. The project ran concurrently with a broader stadium upgrade programme. At the same time, other contractors were working on the pitch, new stands, cabling, camera systems and other facilities.
"Two of the stands were still being installed while we also had to prepare the loudspeaker installation and cable routes for those areas", says Van Brienen. "This required close coordination and fast decision-making. The cooperation between all parties involved was what made the deadline achievable".
On 15 August 2025, with the stadium sold out, the system was called into action from the day's first announcement. "From that first announcement, the result was clear", says Van Brienen. "Speech was intelligible, the sound had impact and the response from the people involved was very positive. For us, that was the real test. The system had been calculated, installed, configured and measured, but matchday is where it has to prove itself – and it did".
The installed system provides BUKO Stadium with a robust foundation for future expansion. The combination of Dante networking, independent AtlasIED processor control and Powersoft Unica amplification means that additional zones, changed routing configurations or loudspeaker upgrades can be incorporated without redesigning the complete system.
This project showed that a tight deadline does not have to mean a poor technical result. You need the right products, direct communication, a practical design and a team that understands the venue. It is not only about installing loudspeakers and amplifiers. It is about understanding how the venue is used, how matchdays work and what the club needs from the system, concludes Van Brienen.
Image credits: © DGF
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