The What: Alcons showed its new LR18 is a three-way “compact mid-size” pro-ribbon line array at InfoComm 2016. The LR18 is designed to combine the highest possible sound quality with very high SPL capabilities and throw.
The What Else: The pro-ribbon’s power handling of 1500W and RMS-to-peak ratio of 1:15, makes for high intelligibility and throw with maximum dynamic headroom reserve. The all-natural cylindrical wavefront of the purpose-designed RBN702rs 7-inch pro-ribbon transducer and the acoustically and electronically symmetrical component configuration bring high pattern control in both the vertical as well as the horizontal plane, without any distortion-inducing horn constructions.
The MF-section features a high-efficiency 6.5-inch midrange transducer with Neodymium motor structure coaxially mounted behind the RBN702rsr pro-ribbon driver. The LF section consists of two extended-excursion, reflex-loaded 8-inch woofers with oversized 3-inch voice-coil Neodymium motor structure; due to its design, this 8-inch driver surpasses the output of even larger drivers in higher-category line-array systems, according to the company, while maintaining the unobtrusive face print of a compact system.
The LR18 is driven by two channels of the Sentinel amplified loudspeaker controller, optimizing the system’s response by LR18-specific drive processing and feedback for each array configuration, including presets for phase-matched low-frequency extensions. A form-factor matching LB18 is also available, consisting of two of the same 8-inch LF transducers. Adding LB18 modules enlarges the array length, extending the controlled (cylindrical) projection of the LR18 down to the lower frequencies, while increasing throw of the low-mid frequencies over distance.
The LR18’s Signal Integrity Sensing prewiring ensures dynamic cable/connector compensation between the LR18 (or LB18) and ALC, without any preset requirement. This offers a 1:1, undistorted natural sound reproduction, regardless of cable length and amplifier impedance load (system damping factor at the speaker terminals of 10.000).
The rigging system enables angle-setting on the cabinets without lifting the array, resulting in safer and faster setup with minimal handling, as well as a WLL of 24 cabinets under 10:1 safety (LB18 32 units). Array configurations can be simulated in the new release of Alcons Ribbon Calculator (ARC3), Alcons’ high-resolution 3D simulation program.
