Blaze Audio has announced new version 1.2 firmware update for the company’s PowerZone Connect Series of power amplifiers that offers a combination of new functionality and feature enhancements that include integration with four widely specified control and automation systems (Q-SYS, RTI, Control4, and Creston).
Loudspeaker preset management is also a new element of the V1.2 update. They can now be generated, imported and exported, enabling installers to quickly “tune” the loudspeakers of many major brands. In addition, it’s now possible to choose which parameters (equalizer, crossover, delay etc.) should be included in the preset and which should remain protected. Further, an internal library for storing loudspeaker presets locally within the amplifier has been added, and all loudspeaker related settings (equalizer, driver alignment, crossover etc.) are now contained within the new preset function.
Several enhancements to system EQ settings have also been implemented for added flexibility and compatibility with existing loudspeaker presets. Butterworth 36 dB/octave and 18 dB/octave high-pass and low-pass filters have been added to the crossover section along with low-shelf 6 dB/octave and high-shelf 6 dB/octave filter types that have been added to the EQ and loudspeaker EQ sections. Low-shelf 12 dB/octave and high-shelf 12 dB/ ctave filter types have also been added to the EQ and loudspeaker EQ sections.
The V1.2 update also makes low-pass 6 dB/octave and high-pass 6 dB/octave filter types a new addition to the EQ and loudspeaker EQ sections. Additionally, an all-pass (1st order) filter type is added to the EQ and loudspeaker EQ sections to complement the all-pass (2nd order) filter.
To protect the connected loudspeakers from thermal overload, the update introduces improvements to the amplifier’s output limiter section by way of RMS limiters to complement the peak limiters. The RMS limiter is now adjustable in both 70- and 100-volt modes.
A switch has been added to the loudspeaker EQ settings to show the combined loudspeaker EQ and crossover response. Further, each output now supports loading an FIR filter up to 512 taps (48 kHz) to be included in the loudspeaker presets. The output limiter section has also been improved with a clip limiter disable function. This is normally only used when designing subwoofer presets where the load is well known and the designer adjusts the system to avoid overload. In addition to the Web socket API, a Raw TCP sockets API has been added for systems supporting this protocol.
Additional enhancements include:
• WI-FI client mode is now supported.
• The maximum Q of parametric, notch, low-pass, and high-pass filters has changed from 10 to 30.
• The driver alignment enable switch default has changed from enabled to disabled.
• A zone compressor parameter hold time has been added.
• The output limiter name has changed from “Limiter” to “Peak.” (The function itself remains unchanged.)
• The (peak) limiter maximum attack time has increased from 50 ms to 100 ms while the maximum release time has increased from 1000 ms to 2000 ms, and a knee parameter has been added.
• The equalizer name has changed from “Equalizer” to “EQ.”
“This update brings an extraordinary assortment of enhancements to an amplifier line that was already rich with features,” says Kevin Wilkin, Blaze Audio executive sales director for the Americas. “The extent of the loudspeaker management as well as the new EQ and Limiter capabilities is nothing short of exceptional.
“Further, this update includes custom-made drivers for use with Q-SYS, RTI, Control4, and Creston control and automation systems. In addition to the documented improvements, there are also several other minor GUI changes and bug fixes. This update brings a dramatic upswing in overall functionality to a product group that already had a rich feature set, and it only takes roughly two minutes to install. I’m confident that AV system integrators will find much to like with these new improvements to the PowerZone Connect Series.”
Go here to view the release notes or download the Blaze Audio V1.2 update for the PowerZone Connect Series amplifiers.
