L-ACOUSTICS P Series Powered Speakers
Jamie Rio
I have written many times in the past about the joys of a small sound system — especially one that sounds great and can reach a lot of people. Of course, the whole concept of “small” is very relative. However, if your mains are the size of your grade school lunch box and your subs are the size of a milk crate, we would definitely call that small. Well, when I unpacked the L-ACOUSTICS 112P powered speakers and the SB15P powered subwoofers I thought to myself, these cabinets are really small. Not as tiny as the aforementioned items, but small nonetheless. I was a little concerned because in just a couple of days I was going to set this little sound system up and hopefully rock the pants off of five hundred people. At least that was my plan. But before I get too far ahead of myself, let’s look at what L-ACOUSTICS has created.
The Gear
The 112P is a self powered two-way coaxial full range loudspeaker containing one direct radiating, bass reflex 12-inch transducer with a three-inch voice coil and a 1.4 inch exit titanium diaphragm compression driver. Coaxial proponents point to the accurate pattern produced by a single point source regardless of orientation. A 1000-watt amp with thermal protection, short circuit/overload output protection, clip and RMS signal limiting powers these components. Onboard digital signal processing provides corrective component and system equalization. Four presets are selectable via the rear-panel and are equalized for front fill (great for a flat starting point before applying EQ or as a front fill), monitor and crossover (for use with the SB15P powered sub). We will get to the sub in just a moment. All this lovely technology is packed into a 21.3-inch high by 16.1-inch wide by 15.4-inch deep box. This enclosure — not rectangular or trap, instead using angles that allow them to be used for a variety of ground-stacked application — is made of 18mm Baltic birch plywood, with internal steel bracing and joints that are sealed, screwed and rabbeted. The finish is a maroon-gray high resilient paint. A 1.5mm thick steel black powder-coated grill protects the speaker components. An acoustically transparent grill cloth fabric covers the steel. The box also sports pole mount sockets on the top and bottom. A couple of bracket accessories allow you to suspend the enclosure in a variety of orientations.
OK, now for the subwoofer. The SB15P sub is built around a 15-inch transducer, front loaded into a tuned, vented enclosure. Like the 112P full range speaker box, the sub is made out of 18mm Baltic birch plywood, coated with that resilient maroon-gray paint and wearing the same quality steel grill protector and grill cloth. L-ACOUSTICS packs a 1000-watt class D amplifier into the box, and they still manage to keep the size down to 17.5 inches high by 20.5 inches wide by 20.5 inches deep. Both the 112P and the SB15P sub are relatively small and cute, but they pack a combined 2000-watt punch per side. That should give you a pretty good idea of what we got here. Let’s go to the show…
The Gig
As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I needed to rock the pants off as many as 500 people with the L-ACOUSTICS system. I actually set up the subs and tops at a two-day outdoor event in Los Angeles. This was my “B” stage at the festival, but I still expected a sizable crowd depending on the act performing. Everything from rock to karaoke to a single acoustic guitar act was being presented on this stage.
The system is very easy to set-up. The boxes are relatively light and you only have four of them. Did I mention that L-ACOUSTICS uses Neutrik power cables? They do, and they’re very cool. Also, the P series enclosures have power outputs in the event you wish to daisychain two or more together. And should you be working in certain parts of Mexico or Europe you can easily change from 115-volt strength to a hefty 230 volts.
Anyway, back to the show. I plugged in the system, turned on my iPod and was absolutely amazed at the sound that poured out. I hadn’t even adjusted any EQ and the rig sounded big and rich. I said to my assistant, “that sounds like a lot of money.” I actually had no idea how much the system cost at that particular moment but sound that good isn’t cheap. Over the next two days we had crowds of more than 500 people. There was never a problem with having enough available decibels. When the crowd grew we turned it up, when the crowd shrank we turned it down. The system worked flawlessly over the two-day show. My only criticism is that the material used for the grill cloth probably won’t last for too long on the road. I think it would be a good idea to get cases for these boxes if you plan on doing a lot of live gigs. [L-ACOUSTICS responds: “As a point of fact, this opinion is inaccurate. Actually it is a very robust nylon mesh which has been tested to last at least 10 times longer thann the foam we used to use. We are using it on all of our new products due to its transparency and durability, and many of our clients have already recognized the merits and are asking to retro-fit older enclosures. We can’t do this, but at least they are asking.”]
Well, on to the next event. The following weekend I had a solo guitar gig. That’s right, I was playing and singing for a small party near my hometown of Pasadena. I actually used to play this type of event regularly. At least until my sound company took over my life. At any rate, I thought I would use just one 112P enclosure for my entire sound system. Once again I was amazed at the power just one enclosure had. I had tons more volume than I needed during the entire evening. Not just power but true, clear tone. Using the enclosure in this manner made me sound, and probably play, better.
I never had a chance to use the 112P as a stage monitor, but my experience with the other events leads me to believe it will operate beautifully in that particular application. In fact, the DSP has a monitor preset which compensates for ground-plane coupling. The P enclosures would also work well in an install environment at a club or school or church.
This was my first working experience with any L-ACOUSTICS products. I can say I was very impressed and look forward to reviewing any other gear that comes from this manufacturer.
Yamaha LS9-32 Digital Mixing Console
Mark Amundson
I have reviewed small digital consoles previously, but the Yamaha LS9 console is one that I could truly say is big enough for club gigs by itself. I received the LS9-32 version not only for its standard 32 XLR inputs, but the 16 XLR outputs that cover just about all the mains, monitor mixes, and any other outboard things I could imagine.
Coming from a non-Yamaha digital console background, I had a large learning curve to get through before I could be proficient enough to handle fast-paced demands of mixing club gigs, especially front of house and monitors from one console. I took the strategy of hacking around a bit, reading the manual thoroughly, and then repeating the process to the point where the manual was no longer required.
My first mental leap on the Yamaha LS9-32 digital mixing console was the signal metering and levels. Coming from a traditional dBu school of always knowing my typical levels of 0 dBu nominal levels with few dBs above for peaks, the whole -60dB to 0 (clip) took some mental re-thinking. So I resolved to set nominal levels around -15dB peak. This whole new number scheme also involves the built-in gates and compressors available on every channel.
The Gear
Other than the level numbering system re-think, the Yamaha LS9 offers a very compelling suite of features and flexibility that I have not seen on analog consoles of twice the cost. Starting with the channels, each channel strip includes a fully parametric four-band EQ plus a High Pass Filter control. And by pushing the enter button after moving the cursor on the EQ controls, the screen morphs to a frequency versus amplitude plot so you can graphically see the changes you are making. The challenge for us analog dorks is to remember that most fixed Q analog EQ sections have 1.5 to 1.8 values for Q, and you can start with those selections if the flexibility of the parametric filters overwhelms you.
Each channel also has two dynamics sections, so you can pick and choose the kinds of gates, compressors, expanders, companders and limiters that you never would have considered with mid-market consoles. The typical setup would be to choose a gate for the first dynamics section and a compressor for the second dynamics section. And to make things easy, you can copy and paste EQ and/or dynamics functions from one channel to others with a minimum of button presses. And pressing the enter key with the cursor in the dynamics sections displays the in/out dB transfer function, allowing you to tweak things visually.
And then there are the aux sends, or should I say in Yamaha Console-Speak, output mixes. The LS9-32 permits sends to output mixes 1 through 16, with each mix pre/post fader assignable. You can group them for stereo monitor mixes or stereo effect sends. The defaults are mixes 1–12 for monitor mixes, and mixes 13–16 for mono feeds to four internal effects processors.
I would be remiss if did not talk about the straightforward work surface with 32 100mm motorized faders plus the stereo master fader, along with 6- LED metering and buttons for channel on, cue/PFL and channel select for each input and output channel. And the real mind-blower is that the output mix masters and matrix have nearly the same EQ and dynamics section flexibility as the inputs. And if you really want customization, you can create a layer of both key input channels and output mixes that you would most frequently adjust during the gig.
And what makes the Yamaha LS9-32 really valuable to me is the built-in outboard “rack” with eight EQ/Effects slots with the ultimate in patching flexibility. Of course, with 16 output mixes, you may not need the insert effects capability at all, but it is there if desired. The defaults are four graphic EQs and four virtual SPX-2000 quality effects units. Now, I love my Yamaha SPX-2000 on my current analog rig, but to program up to four of them on the console is awesome to say the least. And if this LS9-32 was to be a dedicated monitor console, I could choose up to eight 32-band graphic EQs instead. And a cool feature is that the GEQs can use the motorized faders to set the frequency responses.
The Gigs
Okay, so I was booksmart and experience shy on the LS9-32. But I had enough shop practice on this digital console, that I didn’t fumble around for long. I loved the console’s small size 35 inches by 20 inches by 7 inches and weight (43 pounds) for setting up. The XLR ins and outs at the console did not obsolete my snake system, and I did not have to deal with hauling a console dedicated pre-amp/patch box onstage, like some of the bigger digital consoles use.
Once I got used to the -20 to -15dB level system I was using for headroom, the gigs with the LS9 went as smooth as when I have “normal” analog consoles. I must admit that I do not like doing “user interface” training on digital consoles because of the brand-to-brand design differences. On the other hand, analog consoles also have enough feature differences to keep you constantly training through the early gigs.
I did not exercise the MIDI system, or go through the system recalls and safes like a theatrical audio person would do but I am convinced that the Yamaha LS9 consoles would be perfect entry-level consoles for corporate and small theatre production work besides live sound performances. The quietness and sound quality of the console would also lend itself to semi-pro recording console functions as well.
Overall, I liked the console a lot, and the under $11K retail price makes the LS9-32 a bargain for the functions you get. Its ability to hotrod more inputs or more digital I/O with spare card slots makes the technology life of the LS9 consoles more future-proof.
Looking for shortcomings, my obvious lack of knobs instinct had to be quelled, but I found almost nothing to complain about. The biggest nit I could come up with was the lack of an auto attack/release selection in the compressor selections. But I will say the LS9-32 is the almost perfect digital console to jump to when coming from an analog console world. Fair warning, though, the immense flexibility of the patching and channel EQ sections is not something I would want untrained sound persons using at first. Something with low/mid/ high EQ knobs and basic monitor/effects selections are best for the newbies.
Future Sonics Atrio Series Model M5
Bill Evans
My first experience with personal monitors came about six years ago as a
performer when me and my pack were the house band at the Industry Jam at Pro Production in San Diego. And, unlike some, I had no problem adjusting to them. In fact, I loved the fact that — perhaps for the first time since
I started playing out in ’76 — I could actually hear everything clearly.
Since that time I have gotten most of my band to migrate to PMs, and whenever I am mixing monitors for an act, I carry a pouch containing half a dozen sets of PMs and plenty of clean foam sleeves. I look at it like this: Every musician who transitions to PMs makes my job mixing monitors easier.
The complaints I get are always the same two things. The first problem is the sense of isolation inherent in most PMs. (Although there are some ambient products out there, with more on the way, that fix this — not to mention that the problem can be pretty well solved with a couple of well-placed audience mics.) The second is that some users say that PMs sound thin and lack bass. This is harder to combat because A) some models do lack bass and B) when it comes to PMs, fit is everything, and some folks just can’t get the hang of the foam sleeves. A bad fit or seal will guarantee a perceived lack of low-end. It’s hard to tell a struggling musician that they will sound a lot better if he spends $600-plus on a pair of real, pro, custom fit PMs when he is unimpressed with the universal fit unit he is trying to work with.
The Gear
It was about two and a half years ago that I first heard a prototype of a new driver developed by Future Sonics, and I was absolutely amazed. I have both FS and Westone custom fit pieces, and these Atrio Series universals sounded as good as either of those much more expensive models.
Future Sonics ended up first doing a consumer version with the new driver and aiming it at the iPod market. I use mine all the time when running or working out. I have used them on-stage as well, but there are a couple of things that I don’t like about them for pro use, including the lightweight and too-short cable. One thing the FS-1 did get right was a newly designed silicon sleeve that really fit and really sealed. I used them when I ran a half-marathon in Vegas, and they stayed in my ears, sealed and sounding great, for the entire 13 miles. The Atrio Series are pro universal fit products that use an updated version of the Future Sonics proprietary dynamic driver in the FS1. There are two versions available, the m5 and the m8, the only difference being the color (5 is black with a cobalt blue ring and 8 is cobalt blue with a black ring). They incorporate some features that make them much more suitable for pro use, including a longer and much beefier cable that terminates in a gold-plated mini-plug. Most pro PMs incorporate a plastic sleeve of some kind where the cord joins the actual earpiece that you can bend into shape when you run the cable over your ears, but the sleeve on the Atrio has a piece of bendable metal inside so once you get them in the right position, they will stay there. A little thing but very nice.
As far as specs go, Future Sonics claims a full 20 Hz to 20 kHz response. We didn’t test that, but it sounds about right. Impedance is 32 ohms and they ship in a cool little leather case with a cleaning tool, four sets of ComfortFit foam sleeves and three sets of the silicon EarFill sleeves.
The Gigs
I was mixing monitors for a band that I work with a lot and that is open to trying new stuff, so I brought the m5s along and had several players and singers try them out. Something like an earpiece is incredibly subjective when it comes to sound quality, so I always have several people try them and tell me what they think before I write them up. In this case they were used by a singing drummer and a bass player (two of the hardest folks to get into PMs), as well as two female singers.
Only the bass player had any issues, and his was only isolation (this was a rehearsal so we did not use any room mics). He ended up playing with only one side in but still said he like how they sound. Note that this was his very first experience with PMs, and I know I will not have to talk him into using them again and that eventually he will use both sides.
The two girls fought over who got to use them, and the drummer, who is a “golden ear” studio guy, raved about the accuracy of the sound. That is one of the big differences between these new MG5 dynamic drivers and pretty much every other unit I have tried. They sound — for lack of a better term — “real.” The m5 model required almost no EQ and still had enough low-end to keep a bass player and drummer happy, and were clear and present enough in the midrange for a couple of singers who suffer from major “more me” syndrome.
The best news is that the Atrios Series products are very affordable — less than two bills. You can get custom sleeves for another $135, which means that custom-fit ears just dropped in price by a good half. If you prefer a real custom job, Future Sonics Atrio Series models, with or without SofterWear custom sleeves, are now available.
