PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT LOUDSPEAKER TECHNOLOGY
BOXING CLEVER
As competition remains intense within the sound market and as production companies become more and more demanding, loudspeaker manufacturers are increasingly expected to provide a renewed focus not just on the quality of the products, but on the extended features, customer service and support that come part and parcel.
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s a new year begins we asked a number of manufacturers if they’d noticed any recent shifts in the market for loudspeaker products and what they thought the key priorities and focuses would be for 2016. At Meyer Sound, director of product management Luke Jenks envisages many of the driving forces in play last year to carry over into 2016: “Manufacturers will seek to maximise the performance available for every pound you have to fly in the air or pack in a truck. So we do expect to see more power from lighter boxes,” he explains. Digital and networking
advances are also expected to continue apace while “a greater focus on software developments will make the use of these technologies easier and more intuitive for the end user”. The team at Pioneer Pro Audio agrees that the software side of the audio industry will continue to evolve. “I would imagine that products are going to be catered around the DSP functionality that is available, and get more compact,” says the manufacturer’s professional audio specialist David Ferreira. Over at Tannoy the focus for 2016 is expected to be on intelligibility in installed systems, and therefore greater demand
Funktion-One Evolution Series Since the Evolution Series was launched, Funktion-One has reported huge demand from around the world. The range boasts two dispersion options – the Evo 6E with 50° and the Evo 7E (pictured) with 40° horizontal dispersion. Both products are fully horn-loaded with 15in mid-bass, 10in FunktionOne signature midrange and a 1.4in compression driver solely for high frequencies above 4kHz. The range boasts skeletal options, as well as grouped configurations such as two-wide and three-wide. The applications they have been specified for are wide-ranging, covering live, touring, nightclubs, theatres and sports stadiums. Then there are the festivals and events: Burning Man, Notting Hill Carnival, Space Ibiza Opening and Closing Fiestas, The Hydra, Secret Garden Party and Boom Festival have all been successful outings for the Evolution Series.
for high-quality loudspeakers that have consistent coverage through their frequency response is predicted. Audiologic also believes that demand for better quality loudspeakers is growing. “Although the technology used to make loudspeaker drivers has not changed greatly, the digital methods of controlling them have, meaning we can achieve greater music performance and enhanced speech intelligibility,” says MD Simon Stoll. Point source is an area to watch according to Funktion-One founder Tony Andrews: “There seems to be quite a lot of people coming back to point source. There are a number of new point source
Meyer Sound IntelligentDC Technology
Audio Feed’s Will Wright, speaking after supplying a number of stages at Secret Garden Party, comments: “This was our first outing for the Evo 6Es and I was particularly excited about hearing some live vocals through those new 10in Axheads. I was not disappointed. Frequency response was spot on, but the real excitement came from the overall energy that the system seemed to deliver. The transients in the mid-range were constructing one of the most stable stereo images I have ever heard in a live situation.”
products out there – particularly in smaller loudspeakers.” For L-Acoustics the onus is on products that are easier to use, faster to rig or install, lighter in weight, have increased bandwidth, and are more economical to run. “It’s this constant demand for better, faster, easier that drives our R&D,” notes Stéphane Ecalle, L-Acoustics’ director of marketing. Overall, there appears to be a lot going on in this area of the industry, with so many innovative tools at the fingertips of loudspeaker manufacturers and distributors. Here we put some of the current kit under the spotlight…
Luke Jenks, director of product management for Meyer Sound, says that IntelligentDC technology offers no-compromise audio performance in situations where installation time and costs are a significant factor. “This can be any scenario where running AC power to all loudspeaker locations presents difficulties, such as in older buildings as well as for temporary installations in museums or theatrical surround and delay systems. Each loudspeaker can be addressed with its own input signal,” comments Jenks.
Meyer Sound installation loudspeakers with IntelligentDC technology are the only selfpowered loudspeakers available with remote DC powering. Twelve loudspeakers are available with this proprietary technology: two subs and 10 fullrange loudspeakers. Systems with IntelligentDC retain the advantages of self-powering by eliminating long loudspeaker cables and enable bi-amplification with active crossovers in twoway loudspeakers. Internal amplifier modules are powered via a remote, rack-mount power supply and distribution unit, meaning installation can be achieved using a single five-conducter cable with no need for conduit in nearly all code jurisdictions. The result is faster installation at costs comparable to conventional distributed systems. IntelligentDC systems have proven successful as the primary system for small music venues, expositions and theatrical shows, and the technology is also a key component of Meyer Sound’s cinema systems and Constellation acoustic system. www.meyersound. com
www.funktion-one.com
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