www.psneurope.com
April 2013 l 05
news EXCLUSIVE
Lab.gruppen targets broader base
Affordable but powerful IPD Series paves way to new markets for Scandinavian amp stalwart, writes Dave Robinson
SWEDEN’S
LAB.GRUPPEN will launch the IPD (Intelligent Power Drive) Series of affordable two-channel amplifiers at Prolight + Sound, bringing Lab’s reputation for performance and reliability to a wider customer base.
The IPD 2400 (2 x 1,200W) and IPD 1200 (2 x 600W) – aimed primarily at small rental/hire companies and touring bands looking for pro performance – pack DSP power, networking control ability and 100 user-definable presets into 1U of rack space. With the 1200 model,
Lab.gruppen – part of the TC Group of companies – is for the first time offering the marketplace a product with a street price that will inevitably dip below the €1,000 mark. “We’ve given the IPD series as much performance and
EXCLUSIVE Allen & Heath Qu the music By Dave Robinson
ALLEN & HEATH will release another salvo into the fiercely competitive compact digital mixer market at Prolight + Sound 2013.
The A&H Qu-16 has a
professional feature set and an entry-level price tag, and comes packaged in a stylish 19” rack size. “It’s very much our smallest and most powerful digital mixer to date,” says A&H’s PR manager Victoria Clark.
Inheriting technology from the acclaimed GLD and iLive digital mixing systems, Qu-16 features total recall of settings (including 17 motorised faders and digitally controlled preamps), an intuitive touchscreen, the Qu-Drive integrated multitrack recorder, dSNAKE for remote I/O and personal monitoring,
multichannel USB streaming to Mac, Qu-Pad control app, and iLive’s FX library to deliver “class-leading audio quality”. Qu-16 features include 16 mic/line inputs, three stereo inputs, four FX engines with dedicated stereo returns, 12 mix processing channels, patchable AES digital output, dedicated talkback mic pre input, and two-track output. Five high-speed dual-core DSPs provide comprehensive channel and FX processing, with headroom for future processing updates and functionality. Five latest generation 200MHz super- efficient ARM core processors run in parallel to deliver the performance: one to drive each of the Touchscreen and surface, the Qu-drive USB interface, USB streaming, Ethernet port, and the moving faders.
The Qu-Drive integrated USB
recorder works with an external USB drive, and can record and playback multitrack and stereo WAV files. The USB interface can also be used to store scene and library data for archiving and later recall. If using the Qu-16 in the studio, there is also a USB audio streaming interface for record and playback to Mac-based DAW systems. A&H’s proprietary dSNAKE
low latency audio connection enables the mixer to connect over a single 120m Cat5 digital snake to a remote audio rack, such as the AR84 or AR2412, and is compatible with the ME personal mixing system (launched at NAMM). A free iPad app connects to
the mixer via a WiFi router plugged into the Ethernet control port and gives instant
Allen & Heath’s Qu-16 is the Cornwall-based company’s “smallest full-featured digital mixer to date”
Martin Andersson,
Lab.gruppen
horsepower as we could at this price point,” emphasises Martin Andersson,
Lab.gruppen’s product manager for touring. Weighing 4.6kg (IPD 1200) and 6.2kg (IPD 2400), the new amps employ the proprietary low power consumption IDEEA (IntelliDrive Energy Efficient Amplifier) technology, tried and tested in the E Series installation range launched 18 months ago. A powerful onboard DSP engine delivers a total of 40 real- time, multi-slope parametric EQs along with adjustable gain, input delay, output delay, and high-pass and low-pass filters adjustable to
any frequency. A Software Configurable Voltage Peak Limiter (SCVPL) tailors outputs to load conditions, while a four- channel mixer provides flexible routing from the analogue XLR or AES3 digital inputs (two of each). Parameters may be stored in up to 100 user-defined presets, and accessed via the intuitive, touch-based GUI of IntelliDrive Controller. Available for PC, Mac and as a dedicated iPad app, this software interface enables accurate remote system tuning over Ethernet, or wirelessly via a suitable WiFi router. Both models feature integrated
rack handles, a backlit graphic display with horizontal VU meters, and fully configurable front panel controls. A three-year warranty comes as standard.
“When my father, Kenneth Andersson, and Dan Bavholm started
Lab.gruppen in 1979, their goal was to serve the local musical community with great-sounding and affordable products,” recounts Andersson. “Over the past 30 years we have advanced our technology to create innovative, ‘best-in-class’ power amplifiers, including the legendary fP Series and our flagship PLM Series – the platform of choice for international touring and prestige installations. Now with IPD Series, we’ve put everything we’ve learned into a product that will serve a wider market – delivering on both performance and value.” The first IPD series are
expected to ship almost immediately. n
www.labgruppen.com
The IPD 2400 two-channel amplifier
full-
wireless control of the mixer’s key parameters and settings, enabling the user to tweak the PA, adjust the monitors on stage, and even mix the show from the audience.
The Qu-16 is equipped with
many of the iLive pro touring series’ FX emulations, including classic reverbs, gated reverbs, delays and modulators. Glenn Rogers, managing
director of Allen & Heath (and currently part of the D&M Group which includes Calrec, and Denon), says: “Our smallest
featured digital mixer to date, Qu-16 is a tour de
force and we think it’s going to
amaze the industry. It’s got everything in the box: integrated multitrack recording to USB drive, hi-res touchscreen, total recall, huge processing power, a great FX library, an iPad app, and of course, fantastic sound quality. We are also very proud of the slick new styling. The R&D team have done a fantastic job. It could be the shape of things to come!” n
www.allen-heath.com
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