A DOUGHNUT-SHAPED DIAPHRAGM Mick Anderson, representing Coda Audio
Why? “At the heart of the Coda Audio Airline LA-Series Line Array is the unique 4-inch planar wave driver. Coda Audio developed this driver technology to radiate a coherent planar wavefront from a rectangular piston without internal diffraction for superior dispersion control and high-fidelity sound. The driver contains a high-energy neodymium magnet system and a unique annular ring diaphragm. The ring diaphragm works similarly to a wound 140mm long-ribbon diaphragm, providing a linear frequency response up to 20kHz.
“The driver design allows perfect acoustical coupling of individual units to create a virtually continuous and truly coherent line source. It’s best advancement of HF control and quality in the past 20 years.”
THE BEAM-STEERED LOUDSPEAKER Jeff Rocha, EAW president
Why?“The primary research for the KF900 beam steered loudspeaker system enabled a sweeping range of technological innovations, including loudspeaker systems and the software products that model and control them. Using complex DSP to control individual transducers produced a radically improved degree of array control, and the KF900 represents the first applied usage of digital beam steering in a large scale, multiple- loudspeaker system. The proprietary measurement approach to the KF900 allowed EAW engineers to model total array performance with outstanding accuracy, using our own, home- made software tools – our first software ‘wizards’. “The KF900 computerised PA design and control, and our practices are now standard across the industry. The core technology still drives our largest custom solutions, and EAW engineers are researching a second generation of the core technology.”
HOLDING FAST TO PRINCIPLES Tony Andrews,Funktion One founder (“...Principles regarding sonic quality above all, and not being tempted to follow the herd down a path where we would be expected to deliver products in a format or configuration we didn't believe in.”)
Why? “Because we care passionately about audio quality and delivering what we believe to be a superior sound to audiences. This is justified by the number of positive comments we receive via email from the public who tell us how much they have enjoyed a particular event. We feel that when a member of the public takes the time to write to a manufacturer about the sound quality of their loudspeakers, then we are pleased to have made the decision we have. After all without audience enjoyment what would be the point of live sound?”
A MINIATURE CAPSULE Anne Berggrein, DPA marketing manager
Why?“When you are recording in a challenging environment like a TV studio or a theatre, you need a microphone that is capable of getting really close to the sound source so that you avoid picking up surrounding noise. Our miniature capsule was developed to achieve exactly this result, without compromising the superb sound of the measurement microphones that DPA is renowned for. DPA miniature capsules are so small and unobtrusive that they are literally undetectable. Every capsule is manufactured to within very narrow tolerances at DPA’s factory in Denmark, thus ensuring consistency, reliability and a neutral sonic character. With our measurement background we know how the human voice should really sound – as do our customers, which is why these capsules are so highly prized.”
THE INTERACTIVE TOUCHSCREEN James Gordon,DiGiCo managing director
Why?“Most people would expect the DiGiCo answer to be audio processing related but actually its more user-based. We were the first to bring interactive touchscreens to a worksurface design back in 1997. These are now common practice in our lives as the best way to interact with technology. Just think, there may never have been a game like Angry Birds.”