PLASA – Stand G20
Four loudspeaker families will be presented: the shiny new STM Series of modular line array cabinets, scalable for audiences from 1,000 to 100,000; the GEO S12 all-purpose compact line array; the radical 45°N-12 stage monitors, shaped like a wedge of Brie; and the classic PS Series, industry standards for nearly 20 years.
But in prime position at PLASA is NEXO’s NUAR or Universal Amp Rack, filled with technological innovation and functionality. This is a scalable amplification solution for all NEXO concert systems, encouraging inventory standardisation among NEXO users and facilitating cross-hire opportunities.
The NEXO Universal Amp Rack contains two NXAMP4x4 amplifiers, a new Digital Patch Unit (DPU), an intelligent output patch panel, a new Digital Meter Unit (DMU), an intelligent input patch panel providing digital communication with the NXAMP, and an optional network card, Dante or EtherSound by request. The NXAMP digital processors and amplifiers are now available in a dual-voltage version for touring applications.
The NXAMP4x4 continues to be one of the industry’s most powerful amplifiers. Now, after two years of work, NEXO’s R&D team has generated a new family of set-ups which deliver a massive boost to its versatility. Linear phase has now been applied across the NEXO range, so users can mix and match products from early PS Series onwards. There are new FIR filters for the GEO S12 in active and passive mode, and new set-ups for the PS15 which deliver a quantum improvement in sound quality. And new FIR presets are available for NEXO’s 45ºN-12 stage monitor running in passive mode, which offer a significant improvement in performance as well as affordability.
Set-up selection per channel is now implemented on the NXAMP. Being able to program per product per channel, combining all systems with perfect phase and amplitude match is an astonishing leap forward.
STM SERIES
In September, NEXO starts shipping its first STM systems, previewed in Frankfurt. The STM system is supplied road-ready, paired with the NUAR and its plug-and-play digital patches, real-time system monitoring and control network functionality Each NUAR will feed 12x STM modules in any combination in groups of 3.
The STM Series is NEXO’s new proposition for the modern touring and rental company, the first scalable modular line array on the market. Its concept combines the best of NEXO Alpha functionality with the technical innovation of NEXO GEO waveguide designs to deliver a system that is both super-powerful, super-flexible and easy to use.
NEXO takes modularity as the central design principle for its new flagship. An STM system can be configured at will from discrete loudspeaker elements; M46 main, B112 bass, and S118 subbass. System configurations might comprise arrays of main cabinets only, or main+bass, or bass+main+bass. The ability to add extra bass cabinets to the system in order to increase power and headroom without introducing unwanted phase anomalies makes STM unique, the first system to offer scalable LF. Deploying the dedicated subbass cabinets, either in the arrays or as ground-stacks, further increases the options..
“The modularity of STM makes it truly all-purpose,” says NEXO’s concert sound specialist Stuart Kerrison, explaining that the badge STM stands for Scale Through Modularity. “ A rental provider can scale up his system from just 6 cabinets a side for a small event, to whatever is needed to handle an arena or stadium application. Even large flown arrays of main+bass+sub are so low-profile that they comply with sightline restrictions for broadcast concerts and events.”
A first for NEXO, the main and bass cabinets are injection-moulded for maximum durability and weather-resistance. Technical Director Francois Deffarges is proud of the system’s bass and sub bass provision, this being one of NEXO’s traditional strengths. “Our extremely powerful Bass cabinet has a frequency response which overlaps that of the Sub and Main modules, providing a valuable increase in LF headroom. With the Sub, we can achieve a similar SPL output to our CD18 unit, using just one 18” driver. And there are advantages in use; two subs can be used back-to-back in cardioid mode, or side-by-side in omnidirectional mode.”
Specified by real-world users, the STM system has been designed for the warehouse, the truck, the roadie and the venue. It is as much about how it packs together for transport as it is about how it sounds; using a range of dolly and bumper accessories, the system can be prepped in the warehouse, loaded onto dollies for transport, and simply wheeled into a venue. All aspects of a sound system’s use have been re-engineered, and its PistonRig™ and REDLock™ rigging technology will allow a single technician to fly an arena system quite easily.
Dante Functionality On-Board
The NXDT104 is the DanteTM audio plug-in card for the NXAMP, enabling NEXO loudspeaker systems to exploit the many benefits of a high-performance AVB-ready digital networking solution. The NXDT104 will distribute digital audio plus integrated control data, automatically configuring its network interface and finding other Dante™ devices on the network.
- it can receive 4 audio streams (24 bits/48kHz) in Dante™ format
- offers a dual port for redundancy and third port for additional remote control
- offers a direct connection to PC using the ASIO format
