I think I speak for most of us in the live sound biz (especially those of us who use powered speaker boxes) when I say we would all like more sound pressure level and more wattage in a smaller package. Years ago I joked about having speaker enclosures the size of a pack of cigarettes. I also expressed my desire to mix my shows in California while I was sitting on a beach in Cabo. Well, K-array has brought me closer to that goal with their Redline Series speakers.
The Gear
The Redline series I received for review was made up of two 18" powered subs and two satellite speakers. The KL18ma sub weighs in at a mere 44 pounds and kicks out 1000 watts. The sub box also carries another 1000 watts of power for its satellite speaker, which sits in a pole mounting hole on top of the sub. The power amplifiers are class D and DSP controlled. The amps are protected with dynamic limiting, protection against high temperatures, high voltage and short circuits. In other words, you won't be blowing these speakers up any time soon.
The Redline KR200s satellite speaker is a little over 6 ½ ft. tall, only 2 inches wide (less than a pack of cigarettes) and 2 ¾ inches deep. They weigh in at just 20 pounds each. The KR200 satellite incorporates 32 high efficiency neodymium magnet drivers enclosed in a rock solid metal chassis. These line array speakers are more like pencil arrays. When the speakers are set up, they are almost invisible – mainly because your eye and your brain don't really recognize speakers that are only 2 inches wide. If you have ever supplied sound for a corporate event, you can imagine how these speakers will disappear behind one of those fichus trees at the corner of the stage or behind one of the many other typical event props. Should your event have a set designer, they will absolutely love these speakers – and you, for that matter.
Each sub not only carries the power amps but has a DSP that can control all the functions of the speakers. There are 16 on-board presets that can be recalled by pushing the preset button. A display on the subs lets you see what preset has been called up. There is also a serial port that allows you to operate the Redline system remotely. Just plug in the USB adapter, install the K-array software and you can sit back and operate the speakers from a beach in Cabo. Okay, it's not that simple, but with a little effort you can monitor and operate a lot of functions from your laptop.
Now that we have an idea about the system, how about we check out how these line array speakers performed in the real world.
The Gigs
My first date with the Redlines was at the Paramount block party in Los Angeles. The theme for this year's party was "The Circus Big Top." The stage where I set the K-arrays was hosting some jugglers, clowns, acrobats and so on. Most of the music was pre-recorded, but of course there was an announcer, and we also had an acoustic guitar solo comedian guy. I put together the subs and satellites in a matter of minutes. I am smiling the whole time because these speakers are so thin and light. But I also notice how well they are constructed. Did I mention that K-array speakers are designed and fabricated in Italy? I love all things Italian. Maybe because half of my relatives live there, or maybe because the food and wine is so amazing. Anyway, that is a completely different story for another time. Back to the speakers. They are built like a fine Italian sports car. Excellent materials and precision construction. I put up a CD through the newly-assembled system and was absolutely amazed at the sound. The bass was full, rich and tight, the mids and highs were superbly clean and clear without any harshness across the entire frequency range. And the Redlines are incredibly powerful. Also, all the sound directed to the audience is very omnidirectional. In other words, the speakers created a wall of sound as opposed to point of source audio. These speakers reproduced sound as good as the best studio monitors or home speakers I have ever heard. I was absolutely thrilled with the sound quality, and so was the audience. At least the guy who had hired me was in the audience and he told me he was simply blown away by the sound of the K-arrays.
The next outing was at a club called Mambos in Burbank, Calif. This is a small club and a hangout for local A-list players. Oscar Cataya was there with some of LA's best. The Redlines have such a small footprint, I set them sort of in a left/right FOH position, but not proportionally separated, because I was accommodating the room. I did a little sound check, added very little EQ, and once again, the band and I were amazed at the quality and clarity of the sound. Because of the omnidirectional spread of the sound, their FOH location was not as important. The evening got underway, and the club was completely packed. As I mentioned earlier, the speakers have no harshness across the entire frequency range. This was important, because some of the audience was standing right next to the Redlines. The club owner commented on how good the sound was and how visually appealing he found the speakers. If I was a Redline sales rep, I could have sold him a pair. Obviously, the band's performance makes a good show, but the speakers' performance is equally as important. The K-array Redline speakers performed beautifully, which allowed the band to be heard at their best, and, of course, this gave the audience a great performance.
K-array Redline Series
What They Are: Powered FOH speakers
Who They're For: Sound companies, clubs, churches, bands
Pros: Powerful and clean
Cons: I don't own a pair
How Much: $15,560 (MSRP)
