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Author Topic: Future of Line Arrays  (Read 22063 times)

Ethan Kurobe

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Future of Line Arrays
« on: April 30, 2017, 06:34:14 AM »

So got a chance to talk to couple of guys and the upcoming technologies in Large format Line Arrays. I visited Martin Audio multi cellular MLAs & also on the same lines EAW's Adaptive Anya and Anna. Where both MLA & Adaptive Systems power each driver with individual dedicated amplifier and DSP to my understanding EAW have gone ahead with much more with new updates to their software to what adaptive solutions can do. I heard gossips at PL&S that maybe d&b is coming up with a new LA on a similar concept. Don't want to dwell on that.

So I am thinking and reason for this post: Is this the future of the Line Arrays? A lot of products from great brands are launched not too long ago like Clair Brothers Cohesion or L'Acoustics K1/K2 or Meyer Leo family.. and now these new revolutionary products are being launched.

So a professional and experience advise would be to invest in this new technology or go around buy whatever brand or sound system one prefer as per existing markets.

This new approach to Line Arrays by EAW and Martin Audio and maybe many more in near future will it change the industry? Any of the guys who heard them or have any inputs on the matter please share your thoughts
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TJ (Tom) Cornish

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Re: Future of Line Arrays
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2017, 07:32:09 AM »

So got a chance to talk to couple of guys and the upcoming technologies in Large format Line Arrays. I visited Martin Audio multi cellular MLAs & also on the same lines EAW's Adaptive Anya and Anna. Where both MLA & Adaptive Systems power each driver with individual dedicated amplifier and DSP to my understanding EAW have gone ahead with much more with new updates to their software to what adaptive solutions can do. I heard gossips at PL&S that maybe d&b is coming up with a new LA on a similar concept. Don't want to dwell on that.

So I am thinking and reason for this post: Is this the future of the Line Arrays? A lot of products from great brands are launched not too long ago like Clair Brothers Cohesion or L'Acoustics K1/K2 or Meyer Leo family.. and now these new revolutionary products are being launched.

So a professional and experience advise would be to invest in this new technology or go around buy whatever brand or sound system one prefer as per existing markets.

This new approach to Line Arrays by EAW and Martin Audio and maybe many more in near future will it change the industry? Any of the guys who heard them or have any inputs on the matter please share your thoughts
In the future, all restaurants are Taco Bell and all line arrays are Danley point source boxes.
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David Sturzenbecher

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Re: Future of Line Arrays
« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2017, 07:45:13 AM »

Every time the "D" brand comes up you have to drink.


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Ivan Beaver

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Re: Future of Line Arrays
« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2017, 08:53:10 AM »

Every time the "D" brand comes up you have to drink.

Yeah-to celebrate the future :)
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eric lenasbunt

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Re: Future of Line Arrays
« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2017, 08:53:15 AM »

When are you looking to buy? If you need something soon to fulfill your needs than you either go with current offerings toward beginning of their life like L Acoustics K, Meyer Leo, etc OR if you have half a million or more and the clients to support it by all means go Anya.
Either way, you are talking about large stadium/arena systems and I would lean more toward whatever you clients are interested in.

We supported a second stage recently for an arena show done by Morris out of Nashville. They had piles of d&b J1 and v series for outfill. Talking to their guys they of course love that PA. They own it because it makes the most money sense because people spec it and want it. They also have a big Nexo STM system for their tours with Chesney because that's what that client wants right now. At that level you buy high end and you buy what your client is looking for.
Early adoption of a technology comes with a high price tag, a lot of risk, but some good potential reward of the product is successful (and you are the only one around who has it).


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Lee Buckalew

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Re: Future of Line Arrays
« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2017, 09:23:09 AM »

Either way, you are talking about large stadium/arena systems and I would lean more toward whatever you clients are interested in.

Early adoption of a technology comes with a high price tag, a lot of risk, but some good potential reward of the product is successful (and you are the only one around who has it).

These choices don't have to be stadium sized. 
EAW offers both Anya and Anna while Martin offers a full line of sizes in MLA and supporting products such as CDD-LIVE and various subwoofer options.

MLA and Cellular Drive technology are available in 3 different sizes to support nearly any sized venue/space, large to small.  With offerings of 12" 3 way, 10" 3 way and 6.5" 2 way (plus LF Drive module).  It is not a new technology, having been in the product line for quite some time now.  I believe they are at a decade or more now for full sized MLA.

Wavefront Precision is now introduced and takes the technology down some levels in price and resolution for areas where you don't need hard avoid or don't need the higher resolution of MLA.  You can't scale all the way up to full sized MLA or get all of the functions of Cellular Drive but it offers a lower price point, divorced amplifiers, the ability to scale amp channels and DSP to the resolution that your application requires, and it utilizes the same design software and control software that MLA and CDD LIVE both utilize. 

It certainly seems to me that this is the direction that most of the touring manufacturers are taking.  Some just have to wait for current patents to expire to go to their next level.

Lee
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Lee Buckalew
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Mike Hedden

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Re: Future of Line Arrays
« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2017, 11:50:03 AM »

These choices don't have to be stadium sized. 
EAW offers both Anya and Anna while Martin offers a full line of sizes in MLA and supporting products such as CDD-LIVE and various subwoofer options.

MLA and Cellular Drive technology are available in 3 different sizes to support nearly any sized venue/space, large to small.  With offerings of 12" 3 way, 10" 3 way and 6.5" 2 way (plus LF Drive module).  It is not a new technology, having been in the product line for quite some time now.  I believe they are at a decade or more now for full sized MLA.

Wavefront Precision is now introduced and takes the technology down some levels in price and resolution for areas where you don't need hard avoid or don't need the higher resolution of MLA.  You can't scale all the way up to full sized MLA or get all of the functions of Cellular Drive but it offers a lower price point, divorced amplifiers, the ability to scale amp channels and DSP to the resolution that your application requires, and it utilizes the same design software and control software that MLA and CDD LIVE both utilize. 

It certainly seems to me that this is the direction that most of the touring manufacturers are taking.  Some just have to wait for current patents to expire to go to their next level.

Lee

I'm fascinated that Dr Evert Stuart developed this process of digital synthesis years ago and it was used in the Axys and Intellivox products of Duran. This was close to a decade before the current product offerings and yet few know of Dr Stuart and his brilliant work.  Harmon bought them a few years back  so predicated on what Samsung does with the company I'm figuring soon you'll see the JBL DDS line. Funny thing is many will say they are following a trend yet the company they bought was doing  it longer than anyone.

Mike Hedden
Danley Sound Labs
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Ethan Kurobe

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Re: Future of Line Arrays
« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2017, 12:25:29 PM »

The point is I feel little blessed that I get to buy my large format array now when all of this is happening. LA have been here for more than 2 decades and now this new technology is coming up. I knew of Axys & Intellivox products but to see all this implemented in concert sound is wow.

I am a little confused on whether I should be investing money in these modern multi cellular systems or go with the current industry standards.. So I am trying to figure out what the industry professionals feel about this.. Do you think investing with this newer technology is a way forward or its gonna take years before they are taken as a solid level up.

More so all these advantages with new technology is great but still the most important factor is Sound.. the tonality of the system. Why we are fans of brands that we invest or look upto is because of how they sound, the tonality of the system. Its good to have more control on the system but how they sound is also very important.

To be short don't have that kind of money that we keep on investing year after year. We are planning to pick up 32 box solution and then again maybe in next 4-7 years. So I got cautious when the rumours of d&b's releasing new flagship solution under the same category. The thing to notice is that MLAs have been out for a while now but the industry is not much phased by it I still see top rental guys buying Clairs, L'acoustics and Meyers hence the dilemma, with my financer backing us its very important we take to the right direction.
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Lee Buckalew

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Re: Future of Line Arrays
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2017, 12:56:22 PM »

I'm fascinated that Dr Evert Stuart developed this process of digital synthesis years ago and it was used in the Axys and Intellivox products of Duran. This was close to a decade before the current product offerings and yet few know of Dr Stuart and his brilliant work.  Harmon bought them a few years back  so predicated on what Samsung does with the company I'm figuring soon you'll see the JBL DDS line. Funny thing is many will say they are following a trend yet the company they bought was doing  it longer than anyone.

Mike Hedden
Danley Sound Labs

Yes, truly groundbreaking work but not the same thing as MLA.  MLA starts with what you want to achieve at and all along the listening plane rather than starting with what you want the speakers to produce.  It then utilizes the speaker driver and filter interactions to create the best solution on the listening plane rather than the most coherent output at the speakers.

Very significant difference.

Lee
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Lee Buckalew
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Lee Buckalew

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Re: Future of Line Arrays
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2017, 01:01:36 PM »

The point is I feel little blessed that I get to buy my large format array now when all of this is happening. LA have been here for more than 2 decades and now this new technology is coming up. I knew of Axys & Intellivox products but to see all this implemented in concert sound is wow.

I am a little confused on whether I should be investing money in these modern multi cellular systems or go with the current industry standards.. So I am trying to figure out what the industry professionals feel about this.. Do you think investing with this newer technology is a way forward or its gonna take years before they are taken as a solid level up.

More so all these advantages with new technology is great but still the most important factor is Sound.. the tonality of the system. Why we are fans of brands that we invest or look upto is because of how they sound, the tonality of the system. Its good to have more control on the system but how they sound is also very important.

To be short don't have that kind of money that we keep on investing year after year. We are planning to pick up 32 box solution and then again maybe in next 4-7 years. So I got cautious when the rumours of d&b's releasing new flagship solution under the same category. The thing to notice is that MLAs have been out for a while now but the industry is not much phased by it I still see top rental guys buying Clairs, L'acoustics and Meyers hence the dilemma, with my financer backing us its very important we take to the right direction.

Listen to and play with each of the options.  They each work very differently.  Get your hands on them and run them through their paces.  All of the manufacturers that I have dealt with are quite accommodating in getting you to a system or getting a system to you.

Rider acceptance in your market, cross rental in your area, etc. are certainly other factors that may play an even larger role in your final decision than will the technology or the sonic characteristics.

Lee
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Lee Buckalew
Pro Sound Advice, Inc.

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Future of Line Arrays
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2017, 01:01:36 PM »


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