Although much of NSCA Expo is contractor-oriented, there were plenty of cool live sound products as well, and many products useful in a wide range of applications.
Mid-sized and compact line arrays were introduced by several manufacturers, with Adamson showing the Y-10, a 3-way, 150-pound enclosure measuring 43 inches wide by 10.5 high by 24 deep. It employs two Adamson 10-inch LF drivers plus a patented mid-high module in the center, with a co-axial entrance, a co-linear exit and an Adamson 9-inch Kevlar mid driver and a JBL 2451 compression driver.
Apogee Sound unveiled a range of Apogee Powered Loudspeakers (APLs), featuring lightweight 300kHz digital amplification and onboard intelligent DSP with precision eighth-order crossovers. A line of optional subwoofers complement the three full-range APL models.
Best quad 21-inch subwoofer at NSCA? Bag End’s awesome Bassault ELF subwoofer. The 310-pound, 44x40x46-inch, birch ply enclosure has the backs of the four 21-inch woofers loading into a common central slot chamber. The Bassault has a sensitivity of 104 dB at 45 Hz, and 3200 watts continuous program power handling. Bag End’s ELF Integrator technology provides superior time domain performance.
The Electro-Voice introduced the compact XLC line array. The XLC 127 is a 3-way, single-12 box with two 6.5-inch mids on a 120-degree horizontal waveguide, two HF drivers and a biampable internal passive crossover. The XLC 124 is a downfill version with a single HF driver and 40-degree vertical coverage. The XLC 118 is a companion subwoofer.
The dual-18 VT4880 VerTec subwoofer line array element from JBL employs VerTec rigging hardware, allowing it not only to be integrated into arrays, but also to firmly connect them in ground stacked applications. Though the enclosure is a foot deeper, the front baffle is the same size as the VT4889. The 132-pound enclosure is made of hybrid materials and uses two JBL 2258H dual voice coil, neodymium Differential Drive cones for a 4,800W rating. JBL also introduced a stunning collection of 33 new AE-series installed sound products, which incorporate its new driver technologies.
Meyer Sound extended its array offerings, introducing both mid-sized and ultra-compact self-powered models. The M2D employs two 10-inch cone drivers and the same 4-inch diaphragm compression driver used in their CQ speakers. The 120-pound enclosure is 39 inches wide and a foot high. A companion dual-15 subwoofer can be incorporated into M2D arrays. A rigging grid designed by Dave Lawler facilitates flown and stacked arrays and can be used as a transition grid below M3D arrays. The M1D is two feet wide, weighs 40 pounds and employs two 5-inch cone drivers and three horn-loaded neodymium HF dome drivers.
Primacoustic debuted the Razorblade Quadratic Diffusor, a 2×4-foot, 8-inch-deep semi-random quadratic diffusion panel made of MDF to reduce standing waves and flutter echo down to 350 Hz. For a fraction of the cost of high-end hardwood diffusors, effective control of reflections can be achieved in venues where this type of solution may have been thought too expensive.
SIA Software’s Version 5.0 of SMAART Live offers many new features, including RTA Peak Hold, RTA timed average, and harmonic distortion calculation. In Transfer Mode, Coherence is stored in reference files and devices under external control can draw their EQ curve on the screen. Data Logging creates files for LEQ and SPL logging with A and C weighting as well as user-definable curves.
SLS debuted the RLA/1 Ribbon Line Array, a 3-way module based around its proprietary PRD 1000 neodymium HF ribbon driver, providing improved HF performance in a line array. The RLA/1 employs axial symmetry, with a 15-inch driver at each end, bracketing two pairs of 6.5-inch mids, and its two ribbon drivers in the center. The 250-pound enclosure has a 5-degree taper and is 54×21-inches. The ribbon drivers reproduce HF at lower distortion than compression drivers.
World Rigging offers a certified AlumaLOK airwall track rigging device made of machined aluminum and rated for static loads up to 750 pounds. The AlumaLOK accommodates 5/8-inch shackles, spansets, C-clamps and has three 1/2-13 threaded mounting holes. This labor-saving device provides a safe, secure solution for productions that must quickly mount speakers and lights in hotel ballrooms. The AlumaBLOK is a smaller, 500-pound rated device with three shackle holes designed for cable picks.
Mark Frink is Mix’s Sound Reinforcement Editor.
