Reminiscent of how large-scale line arrays caused a monumental change in professional audio, I believe we’re in the midst of another massive shift.

The days of “conventional power amplifiers” in upper-level sound reinforcement are dwindling, replaced by the newer, rapidly emerging breed of “intelligent amplifiers” outfitted with sophisticated digital processing and sometimes, a whole lot more.

After this new generation of amplifiers of intelligent amplifiers (“smart amps”) was introduced, it took me a while to get my head around the concept.

Incorporating digital processing in every single amplifier seemed like a financial waste when one processor is capable of controlling so many identical amps.

But as I continued to ponder the idea, the more sense it made for several powerful reasons.

JUST A BAND-AID?
First, there’s the flawed concept that a bank of amps with the same model number are always identical.

The fact is that the output power of each amp is affected by its loudspeaker load, and rarely in the real world are all amps driven at identical loads.

Then there are issues like blown loudspeaker drivers and/or miswiring.

Smart amps are capable of analyzing loudspeaker loads, monitoring drivers and flagging improper wiring, and letting the operator know about these factors immediately.

This additional smart capability, in turn, allows loudspeaker manufacturers to further increase the quality and capabilities (i.e., sound better and get louder while blowing fewer drivers).

The plot recently thickened further with the (somewhat shocking) announcement by Dolby that they’re leaving the processor manufacturing business with the almost immediate discontinuance of the Dolby Lake Processor.

Yes, Dolby seems to prefer licensing versus making hardware. but for one of the top manufacturers of digital processors to pull the plug is saying something.

Are external digital processors just a band-aid, like what we see with our laptops when a new technology comes out?  Remember external modems that used the now nearly extinct 9-pin serial port?

Over time with laptops, most “things” moved to inside the package, and now even in our own industry, digital consoles are gobbling up stand-alone compressors, gates and EQ.

So how far fetched is it really that the amplifier will eat the digital processor? It’s not.

In fact, for several years, a number of leading amplifier manufacturers have been offering a number of options for onboard processing, monitoring and other capabilities, usually in plug-in card form. 

NEW STANDARDS
At the same time, the sheer power output capability of modern amplifier technology is remarkable, and even more so when considering size, weight and channel count.

When I began working in pro audio in 1980, the state-of-the art amplifier was a four-rack-space unit (such as this one - pdf file, by the way), which delivered a then-whopping 700 watts per channel into 2 ohms while weighing in at a “feathery” 57 pounds.

Today, we have 10,000-watt, 4-channel, processor-equipped units of just two rack spaces and less than 30 pounds, and even this “wonder spec” won’t remain amazing for much longer at the rate the technology is being improved.

Just as stereo replaced mono, 4-channel amps are positioned to become the new standard, with 6- and 8-channel versions not far off.

IN A CIRCLE
One of the quandaries faced by sound vendor companies is determining where to place system processors in the signal chain. Putting them in the front-of-house racks necessitates the use of lots of drive lines as well as long wires carrying post-limiter, post-crossover signals to the amps. 

Alternately, the processors can reside in the amp racks, but this inevitably limits versatility due to a discrepancy between processor outputs and amp channels, unless there’s one processor output per amp channel.

A one-to-one processor output-to-amp ratio means that monitor amp racks and main PA amp racks can be identical and any amp rack can go anywhere.

But heck, if that’s the optimum, giving us maximum control and versatility, then why not put the processor in the amp and not waste the rack spaces? (And now we’ve come full circle!)

In my opinion, the inspiration will be fueled by the demand for worldwide sonic consistency, just as we see with almost every successful franchise, be it Starbucks, McDonalds or whatever. 

Humans have a strong desire for familiarity, to know what to expect, and further, to be able to rely upon those expectations. 

With manufacturer-specific smart amps (and also increasingly, powered/processed loudspeaker systems), there’s an opportunity for a fundamental shift in exactly who really has control of the starting-point sound of a PA system.

You might say that loudspeaker manufacturers are gaining more complete control over the amplifiers and processors used with their systems, while sound engineers that desire a certain system type will be able to steer clear of non-factory approved power and processing settings as well as benefit from lock-out features that prevent unqualified users from fiddling with settings.

SAME OR DIFFERENT?
Now, this “homogenous sound vendor” concept may be distasteful to many sound/PA companies, because it could lead to systems with the same loudspeaker type sounding exactly alike.

And any of those unique little “tricks” that we’ve all developed, with the goal of being better and different from others, will be impractical - or perhaps even impossible - to achieve.

Any system-to-system variations will need to occur pre-system crossover. 

I must admit that at first, as the proprietor of a sound system rental company, I was very much against having this franchise concept being applied to sound vendors. “How can we be better if we are all the same?”

Ah, but another viewpoint has emerged as I’ve traveled the world working as a sound/mix engineer: the most frustrating thing I encounter as an engineer is to expect one thing and get something else.

I’ve found, countless times, that I do not want a system to be “better” or have amazing little tricks. Rather, I want a system that sounds just like the one I used yesterday, when that system sounded just like the one I used the day before.

If I can get exactly the same PA every day, then I can build and refine my mix and work on show-to-show consistency. This, of course, is easier when carrying a PA with a tour, but unfortunately, it’s not always possible. 

One-offs, festivals and the need to use different sound vendors on each continent are just a few situations where that PA I had all dialed-in goes away, and I need to start over. Ugh, that gets tiresome.

Oh, I think this processed amp thing is just the tip of a big huge iceberg!

Dave Rat heads up Rat Sound, based in Southern California, a touring sound company that supports a wide range of concert acts and festivals.

Check out more Dave Rat Transmissions:
—When Hearing Starts To Drift
—From The “Wall Of Sound” To Now - A PA Evolution Odyssey