The all new A-Series from d&b audiotechnik introduces the "augmented array". Combining variable splay angles, two approaches to acoustic optimization, and advanced waveguide design, the A-Series addresses applications where coverage flexibility in both the horizontal and the vertical is paramount.
Realizing the adaptability of a point source cluster with the control options of a d&b line array, the system comprises the AL60 and AL90 loudspeakers, with ALi60 and ALi90 offering cabinets designed specifically for permanent installation.
Using the appropriate frame, up to four AL60/AL90 and ALi60/ALi90 loudspeakers can be flown either in vertical or horizontal arrays. Variable splay angles between adjacent cabinets can be set in five degree increments from -10° to +10°.
"Midrange Directivity Control (MDC) ensures frequencies between 200Hz and 2kHz are evenly distributed, regardless of the splay angle", says d&b. With 60° horizontal dispersion and directivity control down to approximately 550 Hz, the AL60/ALi60 can cover a distance of up to 30 meters. The AL90/ALi90 – with its 90° horizontal pattern control down to 370 Hz – is sonically and mechanically compatible, "ensuring the same optimal acoustic result is achieved consistently anywhere, at any angle - whatever the configuration", states the brand.
The AL60/AL90 loudspeakers share a passive 2-way design featuring one 1.4” exit HF compression driver with a 3” diaphragm mounted to a wave shaping device, and two 10” neodymium LF drivers. The combination of the waveguide design and the symmetrical bipolar arrangement of the LF drivers allows a smooth overlap of the adjacent frequency bands in the crossover design. "The wave segments of each cabinet couple without gaps and sum up coherently".
The A-Series is compatible with a range of d&b amplifiers and subwoofers so that the system in its entirety can be tailored to meet specific application needs. The companionable four channel 30D, D20 and D80 amplifiers provide extensive user-definable equalization containing two 16-band equalizers with parametric, notch, shelving and asymmetric filters as well as delay capabilities of up to 10 seconds. The V-GSUB and Vi-GSUB are recommended for low frequency extension using the A-Series, with more options available for mobile and install, large or small.
Wolfgang Schulz, Product Manager d&b says: “The A-Series, augmented array provides our customers with a new set of scalable solutions that work as a standalone system or in combination with the full range of d&b systems. The flexibility of the splay angles, the Midrange Directivity Control function and the ArrayProcessing capabilities enable the A-Series to address a huge range of applications with coverage consistency that is unparalleled.”