GEAR HEADS
L-ACOUSTICS KARA II Following its highly anticipated launch at The NAMM Show, Product & Technology Outreach Manager, Scott Sugden explores L-Acoustics’ latest Kara line array, Kara II.
When did you start working on the update to the Kara model? The R&D process began in earnest over a year ago, although the discussions go back much further. The whole process will culminate at the end of this year, when we launch an install-specific version.
Did you encounter challenges during the R&D process? We kicked off the project with the basic tenet that we wanted to bring Panflex to our most popular loudspeaker, evolving it to allow for one enclosure to have four different directivities: 110° or 70° symmetric and 90° asymmetric left and right. We really wanted to bring Panflex to Kara in a way that allowed for existing owners to upgrade their current inventory and this posed a few unique challenges that engendered several iterations to get to the right formula. Kara II not only has Panflex and four different directivities, but we were also able to increase the output of the system by 2dB and improve the polar response in 110° vs Kara, which was was a best seller because it fulfilled the needs of many clients and projects. Kara II has exponentially more flexibility.
What were some of the main goals from the outset? We knew that offering the four-in-one directivity that Panflex allows was a big leap forward for a best-selling product that will now be able to customfit any audience geometry. For the install version, we’ve re-engineered the enclosure specifically for this market to provide better mechanical strength and improved aesthetics, as well as adding the Panflex. 76
