Almost everything has been invented in speaker design. More decibels are already hard to pull out (and there's not much to do, either), sound in the category of top brands is just a matter of taste, and amplifiers are packed to the brim with high-quality DSP. So what can be done to convince potential buyers that ours is better?
The biggest room for improvement remained in the usability categories: installation time, ease of configuration and remote control. Although we can't even tinker yet, I have the impression that this path has been taken to heart by the American company QSC - the author of the very common K-series active loudspeakers in the industry, which showed that it is possible to make a mid-range active loudspeaker quite inexpensively, and with quality. Especially in the category of mechanical performance.
But enough about ancient times - let's turn to the future. The Americans have created a new series of line array speakers - L-Class. The series consists of two line array modules: with 8- and 12-inch low-frequency drivers (LA108 / LA112) and an 18-inch sub-bass LS118.
At first glance - the system like a system. It hangs, stacks, changes angles and other such contrivances for bored implementers. QSC products have always classified for me in the category a little better than "mid class". So what did the manufacturer do to tempt the clientele a bit?
First of all, the weight and performance of the line modules. For an active system with a built-in amplifier and processor, the less than 14kg of the LA108 module and just over 21kg of the LA112 module is a really good result. Certainly, the making of the enclosure from high-strength ABS helped with this.
Each of the linear element models of the L-Class series can be assembled by one person. The rigging system seems to be strongly intuitive. We don't have any unnecessary loose parts or classic aircraft pins. This is already a noticeable plus especially for the event customer for whom time and weight are important, but the most important thing here:
Communication and configuration.
Here QSC has relied on an automated control system. The QSC AWARE (Automatic Wireless Array Recognition) control system is, I'll admit, quite a modern solution. It allows us to transmit the most important data regarding the configuration of our cluster. It gives the user the ability to optimize the system as a whole at the press of a button triggering custom DSP algorithms. The technology built into the packs uses internal accelerometers and ports to communicate between elements using infrared to suggest the best possible settings for the internal DSP. All the information is sent to the QSC SysNav App which allows full control of all connected speakers. We also have the ability to control changes to each pack from the built-in interface with display and Push & Turn knob.
At first I looked at it and said - sure, I can already see configuring each pack separately from the menu on the back of the pack. On the other hand, if we take into account the wireless communication and the fact that each system has to be learned, it can turn out to be quite an interesting solution which, in the case of events in the category of "Polish Production" (read for yesterday), will definitely shorten the preparation time and allow your teams to sleep a little longer.
Will this be the case? We'll see once the system can be seen with our own eyes. For now, we have to settle for information from the manufacturer's website.
Manufacturer: QSCDistributor: Applause Audio
