PLASA 07 Marks Worldwide Debut of Lab.gruppen PLM 10000Q

Andy Wood Sep 9 2007, 3:00pm

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Loudspeaker management system incorporates Dolby Lake processing

Launching today at PLASA, the first product of Lab.gruppen’s new Powered Loudspeaker Management Series comprises a four-channel amplifier, dual Dolby Lake Processor modules, Dante low-latency networking, and groundbreaking features for load verification and performance monitoring.

The PLM 10000Q, which is already being specified by several pro audio hire firms, heralds a new era in high-power audio systems for live event production. As the first in a series of Powered Loudspeaker Management (PLM) products, the PLM 10000Q seamlessly integrates the cutting-edge amplifier technologies of Lab.gruppen’s proven FP+ Series with the power and flexibility of the Dolby Lake Processor. In addition, it incorporates Dante self-configuring, low-latency audio networking as standard, along with unprecedented capabilities for verifying and monitoring loudspeaker loads through proprietary LoadLibrary, LoadSmart and SpeakerSafe technologies. All operational and monitoring functions are accessible via a custom version of the Dolby Lake Controller software, which also offers integrated SmaartLive real-time system measurement and analysis as a plug-in option.

Built on the foundation of Lab.gruppen’s robust FP+ Series, the PLM 10000Q ($8,995 MSRP) offers extraordinary power density. Each of four output channels (driven independently) provides 2,700 W @ 2.7 ohms (2,300 W @ 4 ohms), with more power available when driven asymmetrically. Other features in common with the FP+ Series include patented Class TD output stages, regulated switch-mode power supply (R.SMPS), the high-efficiency Intercooler® copper-finned cooling system, and a full suite of protection features. Signal inputs are analog and AES digital as well as via the Dante network; dual connectors for each provide loop-thru outputs for network redundancy. The PLM 10000Q is housed in a 2U chassis weighing only 13 kg (29 lbs).

The PLM 10000Q integrates seamlessly into the Dolby Lake Processing environment. The two on-board modules offer precise settings for gain, delay, crossover slope, equalization and limiting. Dolby Lake Processing features incorporated in each module include Raised Cosine Equalization, linear phase crossovers, LimiterMax loudspeaker protection, and Iso-Float™ ground isolation. A new Super Module feature allows hardware processing modules in two or more separate PLM 10000Q units to function as a single module in the Dolby Lake Controller (DLC). In the DLC interface, the Powered Loudspeaker Management Series integrates transparently with external Dolby Lake Processor, Lake Contour, and Lake Mesa Quad and Parametric EQ components.

By harnessing on-board DSP power, the PLM 10000Q offers easier and more precise amplifier set-up. Input gain (sensitivity) is set in the digital domain, controllable through the PC software or the front-panel’s silicone touch-pad interface with rotary encoder. Also, a digitally implemented version of Lab.gruppen’s proprietary Voltage Peak Limiter – here renamed the Inter-Sample Voltage Peak Limiter (ISVPL) – offers increased accuracy.

Abundant DSP power also helps implement a revolutionary set of tools for fast, accurate load verification and real-time performance monitoring.  The key to both features is LoadLibrary, a comprehensive database that provides a unique “fingerprint” or load characteristic for each discrete component of the connected load, whether a loudspeaker cabinet or band-limited series of drivers. Using this data in conjunction with a brief test signal, LoadSmart compares actual response to predicted response to ensure that the system was connected correctly, and to identify any malfunctioning loudspeaker components. During the performance, SpeakerSafe monitors real-time load status, including loudspeaker voice coil and magnet temperatures.