RCF is a sound playmaker of the historic PalaBigi in Reggio Emilia

The PalaBigi, a crowned jewel of Reggio Emilia, has recently completed a significant renovation and improvement process. This transformation marked the triumphant return of Pallacanestro Reggiana to its historic home, after temporarily relocating to Bologna for two seasons due to construction work. The upgrade has increased its capacity from 3,500 to 4,530 spectators, thus expanding the welcome for basketball fans

Stefano Corrias (Promusic) & Claudio Coldebella (General Manager Pallacanestro Reggiana)

Since its inauguration in 1968, the PalaBigi has stood out as one of the longest-standing arenas in the Italian basketball league. The recent renovation included both structural and technological interventions: a modern lighting system and a formidable line-array audio system consisting of 20 RCF HDL 30-A divided into 4 clusters, and two TT+ Audio TTL 4-A. An external mural pays tribute to Kobe Bryant, a basketball legend who spent part of his childhood in Reggio Emilia, and his daughter Gianna, tragically lost in a helicopter accident in 2020.

The RCF HDL 30-A is a compact, active, 2-way, dual-amplified line-array system for medium to large indoor or outdoor events that can be controlled remotely via the RCF RDNet software. The power delivered by each module allows for a peak of 137 dB at one meter, well beyond the minimum intelligibility needs of systems in sports environments. The minor stands are served by two powerful TTL 4-A active column systems, which are also interconnected to the RDNet control network.

The installation of this system elevates the PalaBigi to the level of the best basketball arenas, offering optimal sound diffusion, both for announcements and music entertainment. Precision audio is essential for both uniting fans, and creating an electrifying atmosphere that enhances the experience on and off the court.

General Manager of Pallacanestro Reggiana, Claudio Coldebella, comments: "I believe that the aspect related to entertainment for the public during sports events is absolutely essential nowadays. For this reason, we are grateful for this collaboration with Pro Music for the setup of the new audio system inside PalaBigi. With RCF we now have the necessary equipment to best support recreational activities for our fans during games. A bond that has further strengthened during the season, thanks also to special events like Kobe Night, we foresee many other beautiful initiatives in the future. Our goal is always to offer enthusiasts and attendees of PalaBigi a higher standard for our basketball community. RCF has helped us achieve this."

Stefano Corrias from Promusic comments, "We have been users of RCF systems for many years and were sure that the desired result in the design phase would be well reproduced also in the installed system. We obtained excellent speech intelligibility throughout the area with the advantage of having power available also for high-volume music. With RDNet and internal DSP, the setup and optimization phase was immediate and without having to connect external processors. The public's reactions, even though unaware of the new audio system, were confirmation that optimal sound feeds enthusiasm and greatly improves involvement with the players' action on the court."