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Tech Spotlight
from MIX 526 - Oct 2020
by publications
Tech new products Tech // Spotlight Adamson Systems Engineering CS-Series
By Steve La Cerra
When Adamson Systems Engineering introduced its S-Series of line array and point-source loudspeakers in 2015, the company knew that an upgrade path to networked audio and control was on the horizon. Fast-forward to 2020, and Adamson has released its latest line of powered intelligent loudspeakers, the CS-Series.
The CS-Series offers a formidable combination of onboard amplification and DSP, built-in networking with redundancy, and Milan-ready AVB connectivity. CS-Series loudspeakers share the same form factor and sonic signature as the S-Series, and all S-Series enclosures can easily be user-upgraded to CS-Series.
One of the main incentives of purchasing CSSeries products or upgrading from the S-Series is the ability to use Adamson’s CS (Control Suite) software, available for Windows and Mac OS. CS Software is a single platform combining system design and prediction with deployment, tuning and monitoring—a departure from the typical model of using separate software for design/prediction and routing/control/diagnostics.
The optimization module uses a proprietary algorithm to tailor the response of a line array to the space in which it is deployed. The implementation adds no additional latency to the array while providing a high degree of conformity across the listening area.
The CS-Series consists of five full-range loudspeakers and two subwoofers, all using Class D amplification. The CS7, CS10 and CS10n are fullrange, two-way line array enclosures with an efficient sound chamber engineered to produce a slightly curved wavefront that increases dispersion in the vertical plane, while avoiding high-frequency loss in the far field.
The CS7 employs two 7-inch Kevlar Neodymium transducers and a 3-inch high-frequency compression driver, generating a dispersion pattern of 100 x 12.5 degrees (H x V). Big Brother to the CS7 is the CS10, housing two 10-inch Kevlar Neodymium drivers and a 4-inch compression driver. Dispersion angle of the
CS10 is 110 x 10 degrees. connections for LAN A and LAN B networks, it
The CS7p and CS10p are point-source enclosures can accept or generate an AVB stream to enable with the same driver complement as their line array streaming of digital data. siblings. Both models may be ordered with a choice of The CS Network Distribution System serves as 70 x 40-degree or 100 x 50-degree (H x V) waveguide a centralized network and analog distribution I/O, for the compression driver, which may be rotated enabling users to send redundant audio and control 90 degrees to modify the high-frequency dispersion to CS-Series loudspeakers using a single network pattern. The dipole arrangement of the CS7p and cable. Unlike most networked loudspeakers, every CSCS10p produces a stable polar response, enabling Series speaker can function as a network “endpoint,” them to be easily paired as a means of increasing so the LAN can be sent from the NDS to a speaker, horizontal coverage and overall output level. and then daisy-chained from that speaker to the next
The CS-Series includes two front-loaded one—eliminating the need to create separate home subwoofers: the CS118 and the CS119. The CS118 uses runs from the NDS to each CS-Series cabinet, and a single Adamson ND18 18-inch Kevlar Neodymium greatly simplifying the connection process. woofer with a 4-inch voice coil for high power The NDS can accept opticalCON and etherCON handling capability and was designed for integration connections from LANs A and B, and two AVB with the CS7 and CS7p. Intended as a companion for switches combine the LANs into a single redundant the CS10, CS10n and CS10p, the CS119 houses one networked audio cable. That single connection also ND19 19-inch Kevlar Neodymium Driver, producing carries a backup analog audio signal that can break maximum SPL up to 138 dB and low-frequency out to the analog input at the speaker, if desired. response extending down to 30 Hz. Adamson CS-Series loudspeaker cabinets are
Complementing the CS-Series’ audio capabilities constructed from marine-grade birch plywood and is some very clever implementation of audio offer a variety of rigging options. A CS Upgrade Kit networking, control and monitoring. As you’d allows any existing S-Series cabinet to be quickly expect, CS-Series loudspeakers have analog audio converted to its CS-Series counterpart simply by I/O on balanced XLR connectors, but they also removing four screws, connecting the CS Jackplate feature Milan-ready AVB connectivity, and integrate with the provided wiring connectors, and switching the with several new Adamson rack products developed front grille. ■ specifically for the CS-Series.
The CS Gateway is an analog or digital I/O that also functions as a Milan-ready Ethernet switch. It combines a 16 x 16 audio matrix with 16 channels of DSP, furnishing eight XLR inputs and eight XLR outputs capable of routing either 16 channels of AES/EBU digital or eight channels of analog audio I/O. In addition to providing The Adamson CS-Series family of products.
