| BUILT FOR LIFE ON THE ROAD | ||
| KF760 array modules are small and light and provide significantly more output than comparable line arrays. They also feature innovations designed to make them faster to fly and easier to transport. The proprietary rigging system uses captured hinges housed in high strength tubular steel at the four corners of each module. Quick release pins connect the modules at various angles and also lock the hinges, creating a fully rigid array. The front hinge is designed to maintain a consistent 0.25-in gap between boxes, regardless of the angle. A dedicated caster pallet carrying four KF760 modules measures 45-in (w) x 31-in (d) - exactly the width of a standard road case - creating a packing environment where most gear is of a standard dimension. |
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| MORE SOUND LESS BOX | ||
| Another primary design goal was that KF760 arrays provide increased output for long-throw needs and controlled output for nearfield coverage. To get the required output from the compact KF760 long-throw module, EAW engineers drew from PPST, VA4 and SuperSubT technologies in designing the HF, MF and LF subsystems, respectively (see figure 2). |
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Figure 2 click to see a larger version |
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| Great care was taken in developing a single horn mouth for the HF and MF subsystem. A parabolic separator - borrowed from a KF910 - serves both to combine the vertically separated HF cells as well as to delay a portion of the MF drivers' output, creating a "flatter" wavefront through the mid- and high-frequency ranges. Patent-pending technology is used to load the LF drivers. The KF761 nearfield module employs the same LF subsystem, but features a single HF compression driver and direct radiating midrange cones. This allows the KF761 to provide concert-level output in the nearfield without harshness. KF760 modules are specifically optimized to couple vertically, the key factor in maximizing line array benefits. When arrayed in a factory-recommended configuration, module faces are virtually continuous, creating a unified wavefront regardless of the box-to-box angles. This permits arrays to provide remarkably consistent front-to-back coverage without gaps or hot spots. |
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| Analysis of polar plots shows that across a significant portion of the spectrum, a KF760 array's output hangs on from -6 to -10 dB. While technically out of the coverage pattern, this output (dubbed "soft shoulders" by EAW engineers) is entirely usable for many applications eliminating the need for additional arrays. (see figure 3) In this large arena, additional KF760 arrays are needed for sidefill coverage. With existing line array technologies, the side arrays would need to be placed 20 feet away or more, causing a rigging nightmare. KF760 arrays can be hung with their rear corners touching, if necessitated by the available hang points, with zero sound-quality problems. |
Figure 3 |
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| ARRAYS THAT ARRAY | ||
A serious drawback of currently available line array systems is the difficulty of arraying cluster-to-cluster. Solving this problem was a specific design goal. Our rigorous approach yielded an integrated system that allows KF760 arrays to work (see figure 3):
When another array is used with a KF760 array for sidefill, the second array can be adjacent to the primary array without excessive energy build up in the low-mid region. In fact, two KF760 arrays can be hung with their rear corners touching, if rigging conditions warrant. Finally, KF760 modules employ the same pin-out configurations as KF750 Series modules and can be powered by the same amp racks. (Since they employ twice the MF and HF transducers of a KF750, only two KF760's can be powered from each amp rack.) |
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