Martin Audio and On Stage Audio (“OSA”) have announced OSA’s purchase of a 54-box Martin Audio MLA Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array system.
With this purchase, OSA joins North Carolina-based Special Event Services (“SES”) as key North American members in the growing MLA worldwide network. OSA plans to station its MLA system across both its Chicago and Las Vegas facilities.
“OSA and MLA are a perfect fit,” says Mark Graham, LOUD’s CEO “Show after show, the MLA has drawn enthusiastic attention from the pro audio community and audience members alike. By delivering an unprecedented level of coverage, consistency, and fidelity through its true generation-2 technology, MLA has reset the standard, and expectations, above legacy live sound equipment.
“And true to their first-to-move strategy, Mario (Educate, OSA president and owner) and Jim Risgin (vice president) immediately saw the potential that MLA offered them to reinforce OSA’s reputation as the premier technology provider for their discerning clientele.”
“At OSA we’re always on the lookout for technology to enable us to deliver increasingly clear and focused messages that meet our clients’ audience expectations,” explains Risgin. “With MLA we will be able to deliver frequency response, SPL consistency, and sonic quality never before achievable with traditional line array technology – across any type of venue – and set an entirely new standard of performance for OSA customers.”
MLA features multi-cellular format has six individual cells in each enclosure, each with its own DSP and amplification. With up to 24 enclosures, each MLA array has up to 144 cells—too great a number to optimize manually, or by ear. Instead, Martin Audio’s proprietary Display2 system design software automatically calculates FIR DSP filters for each cell and a redundant-ring audio network (U-NET) downloads the settings into each array enclosure. Martin’s VU-NET software provides real-time control and monitoring of the system.
MLA delivers a frequency response and SPL consistency never before achievable; a very high system output (140dB peak, per cabinet @1m); Automatic optimization of the array, both physically (splay angles) and electronically (DSP); Computer control and monitoring of the entire system, and total control of sound system balance for engineers and sound technicians.
MLA is fully integrated, with Class D amplification, DSP and U-NET digital audio network built into each enclosure. MLA complete systems are ready-to-use, with MLA, MLD and MLX enclosures, flying hardware, software, cabling and training all supplied. All ancillary items — from tablet PC and Merlin controller to network interconnects and mains distro — are also included in the complete system package. This ensures full compatibility worldwide, down to cabling and accessories.
Additional features include 90- by 7.5-degree dispersion; a compact size (1136mm wide x 372mm high x 675mm deep), one-box-fits-all (festivals to theaters) application range and a global voltage, power factor corrected power supply.
MLA’s compact size and very high output allows it to be shipped using smaller trucks, offering considerable savings and reduced carbon footprint. The system also includes the MLX powered, flyable subwoofer capable of an unprecedented peak output of 150 dB at 1m; MLD downfill cabinet, and Merlin 4-in/10-out system controller and network hub. Audio input is via analog, AES3 or U-NET.
