Nexo Launches GEO T Series Extreme High-Output Tangent Array Touring Sound System

Nexo unveiled its new GEO T touring sound system at the MusikMesse in Frankfurt last week. The system will also be on show at the NSCA Expo (National Systems Contractors Association) in Dallas, TX, later this week (March 13-15).

The new GEO T Tangent Array System was developed in conjunction with leading touring sound rental companies, and it has been successfully field tested by UK’s SSE Hire, on tour throughout Europe with Tori Amos; and by the Show Company in Singapore.

GEO T is designed for large venues and outdoor applications, engineered as a scalable system that can handle audiences from 1000 up to 100,000 or more. The series builds on Nexo’s experience gained from the development, testing and successful operation of the company’s first tangent array design, the GEO S.

“The larger-scale T Series was in mind from the outset,” explains Eric Vincenot, Nexo’s Technical Director. “The GEO T specification grew from the success of GEO S, which demonstrated that incredible results were achievable, providing that the physical rules were strictly obeyed. Software modelling showed that the penalties for even small compromises in design would be enormous; however, the no-compromise solution demanded extreme accuracy in construction of the cabinet and particularly the rigging system.”

The three key components of the GEO T line are the T4805 and T2820 full-range high-output loudspeakers, and the CD18 Controlled Directivity Subbass. The driver modules are complemented by newly-engineered flying hardware and GEOSoft Array Design Software for system configuration.

The GEO T4805 Vertical Tangent Array Module

Featuring a 2″ exit compression driver (HF), two front-firing 8″ long excursion neodymium cone drivers (MF/LF), and an additional pair of rear-firing 8″ long excursion neodymium cone drivers (LF only), the T4805 extends Nexo’s unique Controlled Directivity LF to the midbass region. The T4805 has a 5° HRW which allows variable curvature in a vertical coupling plane, adjustable in logarithmic steps from 0.125° to 5° with 0.01° precision. The system makes highly efficient use of amplifier power, with minimal cabling losses due to 32 Ohm impedance.

User Benefit: the GEO T4805 is a 3-way device which provides cardioid midbass using four long excursion high output neodymium 8″ cone drivers. Cardioid midbass improves control of long wavelengths in both the horizontal and vertical planes and allows shorter arrays to project low frequency energy as effectively as the higher frequencies. With Nexo’s NX241 digital controller generating a 90° x 90° cardioid pattern from 70 to 250 Hz, the T Series can control low frequencies with shorter lines than array modules based on horizontally spaced pairs of large-diaphragm cones.

The GEO T2820 Vertical/Horizontal Tangent Array Module

Featuring a 2” exit compression driver (HF) and two 8” long excursion neodymium cone drivers (MF). The T2820 has a HRW with a 20° curvature in a vertical or horizontal coupling plane, adjustable from 8° to 20°. The GEO T2820’s CDD™ (Configurable Directivity Device™) provides 120° dispersion in the non-coupling plane, enhancing its effectiveness as a downfill element in curved vertical tangent arrays.

User Benefit: The GEO HRW is the only dispersion control device that allows the array designer to vary the curvature of vertical arrays in inverse proportion to distance without compromising coherent coupling. This allows the imaging and definition to be as clear in the front rows as at the rear of the audience area.

The CD18 Subbass

The CD12 developed for the GEO S Series introduced Nexo’s unique Controlled Directivity Subbass. The new CD18 extends cardioid directional control to 31.5 Hz, thanks to its dual 18 inch woofers and the DSP algorithms of the Nexo NX241 digital controller. CD18s can be flown or stacked.

GEO T Flying Hardware

The GEO T system is very compact and lightweight compared to other high output line arrays. Designed from the start to be safe and easy to fly, the system incorporates Vertical Tangent Array top and bottom bumpers, which allow adjustment of the tilt angle and curvature of vertical tangent arrays using a two-motor chain hoist system. All GEO T hardware is designed and tested to maintain high load safety factors in curved vertical arrays, which introduce very high stress factors due to the change in angle from the vertical.

Innovative Design & Engineering

Innovative features of GEO technology, proven in the GEO S Series, are found in the new GEO T system, including:

  • The Hyperboloid Reflective Wavesource (HRW™) uses an acoustical reflector derived through rigorous mathematical transformations. It has a real source (the compression driver) and a virtual source which can be located outside the enclosure. The virtual source can be made coincident with or tangent to another HRW, producing coherent coupling between multiple speakers, even when they have different dispersion angles. The coupling plane can be either horizontal or vertical, making GEO array modules suitable for both curved vertical arrays that deliver equal power to equal areas, or for horizontal arrays that deliver equal power to equal angles. Patent pending.
  • The Directivity/Phase Device™ optimizes line source coupling between cone woofers in vertical tangent arrays. Long-throw 8 inch cones can handle low and mid frequencies with ease, but their acoustic centers are too far apart to couple as a line source at the crossover to the compression driver. The DPD™ divides the cone in two. This creates the equivalent of a closely spaced line of smaller drivers that couple as a line source at crossover, without compromising the low frequency output of the 8 inch driver. Patent pending.
  • The CDD™ Configurable Directivity Device lets the user select the dispersion. GEO wavesources use a diffraction slot and exponential flare to control dispersion in the non-coupling plane. Patent pending.

On Tour With Tori Amos

SSE Audio Group has been field testing GEO T full-range and sub-bass units since the summer of 2002, with the complete system fulfilling its potential most recently at the larger venues on Tori Amos’ European tour. At Le Zenith in Paris, before a crowd of 7,000, the SSE team flew single arrays of seventeen T4805s on each side of the stage, with four CD18 sub-bass units. The system was entirely powered by Camco Vortex 6 digital amplifiers, with Nexo 241 digital processing.

“In use, GEO T opens up new ways to address complex acoustic problems,” says Chris Beale of SSE. “Reverberant rooms can be tamed, environmental issues solved and new microphone techniques explored with results that were hitherto unobtainable.”

“In R&D terms, Nexo has really pushed the boat out, and they’ve been brave both in the use of materials and the overall design. The result cannot be compared directly with other line array loudspeaker systems because it is not a line array in many physical respects. It is rather a truly tangent array-able composite device, designed and built with extreme precision to propagate the most accurate sound field you will have ever experienced. Of all the systems I’ve worked with, this is by far the most capable.”

Nexo Web Site

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Allen & Heath Adds Un-Powered Models to New PA Mixer Series

Allen & Heath extended its PA series of stereo live sound consoles at the Frankfurt Musikmesse with the introduction of the PA20 and PA28 mixers. The new models are companions to the recently-launched PA-CP powered mixers, without the on-board amps.

The new Allen & Heath PA28 offers 24 mono channels and 2 stereo channels, padless preamps, and 4-band semi-parametric output EQ

The PA series is targeted at live sound customers including PA and AV rental companies operating smaller systems, bands, music venues, churches and schools.

The PA20 has 16 mono plus 2 dual stereo channels, giving a channel count of 20 inputs, while the PA28 has 24 mono plus 2 dual stereo channels. Main features are a new padless preamp, internal FX unit, SPDIF output and parametric output EQ.

The mono channels feature an XLR input with individual +48V phantom power, and a TRS jack input. The TRS input feeds a new two-stage padless preamp which directs line sources to the second stage for improved matching and performance.

4 auxiliary sends are included, with 2 pre-fade sends for foldback, one post-fade for internal or external FX, and another post-fade for additional FX or special feeds. Mute and PFL switches with LEDs, peak metering and a full 100mm fader are also provided.

The 4 band semi-parametric EQ which proved to be such an important feature on the amplifier outputs of the PA-CP powered mixers is also available on the main outputs of PA20 and PA28. The EQ is a specially-designed 4-band type, with shelving LF and HF, a fixed LM band at 250Hz and a swept HM.

The smaller Allen & Heath PA20 has all the same features as the PA28, but with 16 mono and 2 stereo channel inputs

Also included in the mixers’ comprehensive feature set: built-in editable FX, 12-segment LED meters, XLR lamp socket and background music facility.

Allen & Heath Web Site

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Behringer Introduces New Low-Cost Gear for Home Recording and the Project Studio

Following on from an energetic appearance at Winter NAMM in Anaheim in January, where they launched no less than 13 new products for studio and stage applications, German audio equimpment maker Behringer has rolled out even more new gear for the European audience at Musikmesse in Frankfurt.

Along with 4 new guitar and bass amps for stage work, a pair of new DJ mixers, and a 16 x 2 rack-mount line mixer, Behringer’s Musikmesse launches include a couple of extremely affordable units aimed at the project studio and home recording crowd.

Mastering Studio in a Box

Behringer’s Ultra-Curve Pro DEQ2496 ($380 US) is a single rack space module, a mastering processor with dedicated 24-bit/96kHz internal and external processing performance that Behringer says will ‘put the world of professional mastering within reach of every studio.’ It certainly offers a rich set of features for the price.

At the heart of the DEQ2496 are two high-performance 32/40-bit floating-point SHARC® digital signal processors, and AKM® A/D and D/A converters with 113 dB dynamic range. These allow the processor to deliver the kind of clarity, warmth and punch to a mastering mix that you might expect of a high-end professional facility.

New Behringer Ultra-Curve Pro puts the power of professional mastering within reach of every studio

Insert the Ultra-Curve between the stereo output of an analog or digital mixing console and a workstation or master recording media, and it will enhance the dynamics of the recorded material, creating broadcast-ready material previously not available outside a professional mastering studio.

The DEQ2496 features 4 selectable EQ modules with 31-band graphic EQ, 10-band parametric EQ, Feedback Destroyer, plus three Dynamic EQs per stereo channel. A patent pending VPQ (Virtual Paragraphic EQ) option allows parametric control of graphic EQs.

Effects include a flexible compressor/expander function with peak limiter on each stereo channel, as well as an additional stereo imager and stereo delay for delay line applications.

An ultra high-resolution 61-band real-time FFT analyzer with additional auto EQ function makes room and loudspeaker equalization easy. Multi-functional level meters like peak/RMS, VU and SPL meter with dBA/dBC weighting via a RTA mic input provide all the visual control needed. Furthermore, 64 user memories facilitate complete setups and individual module configurations to produce quality masters.

Separate RTA mic/line input with phantom power, professional wordclock input, and MIDI connections enable full remote control, preset dumps and system updates. Balanced inputs and servo-balanced outputs with gold-plated XLR connectors, as well as AES/EBU and S/PDIF ins and outs (XLR and optical) guarantee compatibility in almost any recording and live situation.

The Ultra-Curve Pro’s software can be updated via MIDI, while an internal switch-mode power supply ensures maximum flexibility, noise-free audio and superior transient response at very low power consumption. Shipping is expected in the second quarter of 2003.

High-End, Low-Cost Vacuum Tube Preamp

Also worth a close look and listen, Behringer describes the new Tube Ultragain MIC100 ($50 US) as ‘the ultimate tube-based sound-enhancing tool for studio, live and hard disk recording applications.’

The MIC100 is designed around a 12AX7 vacuum tube, and it features UTC technology for exceptional warmth and low noise. It complements studio-grade condenser mics nicely, and it can also be used as a DI-box.

The Tube Ultragain MIC100 features low-noise mic preamp circuitry that uses discrete components for a highly transparent sound. It has a phase reverse switch, phantom power supply, LED metering and a switchable pad function.

Thanks to Behringer’s proprietary Ultratube (UTC) technology, the Ultragain is said to show excellent low-noise and low-distortion properties, while lending characteristic analog punch to percussion instruments and signals that are rich in high harmonics. As a DI-box, it can eliminate the dull sound of standard digital recorders and sound cards.

Behringer says the MIC100 is ideal for use in home recording or professional project studio situations, as well as live on stage. It will be available in the second quarter of 2003.

Behringer Web Site

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MODE 1.0 from Cycling ’74 Brings 5 New Audio Plug-ins to Mac OS X (VST, MAS, and RTAS)

Cycling ’74, the good folks behind the Max/MSP graphical programming environment for audio and MIDI, and the enormous Pluggo collection of Max/MSP-based plug-ins, is preparing to publish MODE 1.0, a set of five unique instrument and effect plug-ins for Mac OS X.

MODE is being developed for Cycling ’74 by CreativeSynth Development, a programming team based in Boulder, Colorado. CreativeSynth does commercial and custom software products for musicians, sound designers, and other music technology professionals.

The MODE 1.0 package will include three virtual instruments and two effects units for VST, MAS and RTAS host applications. Cycling ’74 expects to begin selling the new software in the 3rd quarter of 2003, at a suggested retail price of $295 (US).

The MODE collection includes:

BANG: A single-voice percussion module that combines sample playback, FM synthesis, and analog-modeling drum synthesis, for sounds ranging from simple emulation to brand-new percussive hybrids.

The BANG percussion module

MONO: A monophonic synthesizer that combines the ease of use and warm filter effects of an analog synthesizer, with the control and clarity of an FM engine, for an instrument that is equally at home in the studio or on stage.

The MONO synth plug-in

POLY: A versatile polyphonic synthesizer loosely based on classic DCO synths. POLY uses waveforms sampled from some of the most popular vintage digital and analog instruments and features a unique polyphonic arpeggiator.

The POLY module is loosely based on classic DCO synths

SPIN: A rhythm-based effects processor that features a state-variable filter, panning effects, rhythmic gating, delay, distortion and bit-reduction for sounds that range from subtle modification to extreme abuse.

The SPIN rhythm effects processor

WASH: A unique new effects processor built around an interconnected network of 6 fully-controllable recirculating delay lines. More than a mere effect, WASH is an instrument in its own right-capable of anything from simple multi-tap delay textures to hour-long walls of morphing feedback.

Cycling ’74 Web Site

CreativeSynth Web Site

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TASCAM Introduces US-122 USB-Based Audio/MIDI Interface for Mac OS and Windows

Tascam‘s big news at Musikmesse in Frankfurt is the unveiling of a new USB-based computer audio interface.

The US-122 is the third in Tascam’s line of compact, affordable USB devices aimed at musicians and home recordists, and co-developed with Frontier Design Group. The US-122 is purely an audio/MIDI interface, without the mixer and workstation control features of the previous models in the series, the US-224 and US-448.

The affordable TASCAM US-122 comes with sequencing and sample-player software, plus drivers for both Mac OS and Windows PCs, including ASIO, WDM, GSIF and Apple Core Audio (OS X)

Although it is designed as a low-cost, introductory-level interface, the US-122 ($269 US) does not skimp on pro-quality features. It includes phantom power for condenser mics, channel inserts, and zero-latency monitoring among its advanced capabilities.

“Since it’s self-powered via USB and features phantom-powered preamps, a person with a laptop and a couple of condenser mics has a great portable recording rig,” comments TASCAM product development manager Jim Bailey.

“On the other hand, a desktop recordist with limited space will really appreciate the US-122’s sleek, ergonomic design and features like analog inserts for working with outboard gear,” Mr. Bailey adds. “And beginning musicians can get into the US-122 with its affordable price point and easy-to-use design.”

The US-122 is a Mac and Windows compatible USB audio and MIDI interface. It features two XLR-based, phantom-powered mic inputs with analog inserts that allow hardware devices (compressors, etc.) to be placed into the recording signal chain. Two line-level inputs on balanced 1/4″ TRS jacks are included, switchable to guitar-level for direct instrument recording.

Two line-level outputs provide control for levels, and a dedicated headphone output is also included. The US-122 also offers 16 channels of MIDI I/O for use with synthesizers and other MIDI equipment.

The US-122 also provides a dedicated control for adjustable zero-latency direct monitoring, providing a sonically pure reference point before before the audio enters DAW processing.

Since the US-122 is self-powered via USB, no separate power supply is required for operation. This makes it suitable for mobile recording systems based around laptop computers. Drivers for the US-122 are provided for compatibility with ASIO, WDM, GSIF and Apple Core Audio (OS X) software systems.

The US-122 is bundled with two music production software tools: TASCAM’s GigaStudio 24 sampling workstation software and a special version of Steinberg’s Cubasis recording/sequencing software.

TASCAM: “With its compact design and rugged steel chassis, the US-122 meets the needs of everyone from hobbyist musicians through advanced professional recording engineers and producers.”

Tascam Web Site

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