ENGLISH
PalcoPlus is a modular and scalable solution for medium to large applications, designed to combine the directivity and compactness of a line array system, the highest fidelity, and outstanding SPL with exceptional flexibility and ease-of-use. In recent years, sound systems for touring and for fixed installations have undergone a rapid evolution from large, heavy point-source clusters to ever-smaller linear arrays. Along with advances in technology permitting more compact systems to develop higher sound pressure levels and with better controlled directivity, the mastery of the principles of linear sources has revolutionized the industry. Due to the complexity of the physics involved not only in the design of enclosures destined for combination in line arrays, but also in their application in the field, their effective use has been limited mostly to applications requiring large numbers of enclosures and highly specialized personnel have also been necessary to produce effective results. With PalcoPlus, Montarbo has addressed these issues by creating a system that is highly scalable and produces excellent results even utilizing a small number of enclosures. The design team has done extensive work to simplify application of the PalcoPlus by creating all the necessary processing parameters for a variety of configurations, from the largest to the smallest, and providing an intuitive software control for customizing further configurations. Designed for use in arrays from four to sixteen elements, this highly flexible system offers an exceptional power to size ratio – an array of only four elements weighs 80 kg including flying hardware, and can handle an impressive 4000 W of power. With each element capable of generating 130 dB SPL, very small systems can be deployed for relatively large reinforcement applications. The 120° dispersion of the PalcoPlus provides perfect coverage even from low-flown or ground-stacked arrays, using only one cluster per side. A purpose built sub-bass unit fills out the extreme low end of the system and, using an exclusive dual-transducer configuration, offers cardioid polar characteristics from a single enclosure. What’s more, this unique sub has very reasonable dimensions and weighs less than many single woofer enclosures on the market. PalcoPlus is a complete system with a dedicated loudspeaker management processor, the LM24, which can be used stand-alone or controlled by Montarbo’s proprietary, Windows®-compatible software RAConTM. A convenient USB interface permits the management of up to eight processors for network control of large systems from a single computer running RAConTM. The software suite of the system is completed by a customized version of SDA’s EASE Focus, the industry-standard software for array composition, aiming and coverage simulation, that is preprogrammed for use with the PalcoPlus. The PalcoPlus system redefines convenience and user-friendliness with the addition of the PLM6800, a digital controller combined with a four-channel, class-D power amp, boasting software-controlled output routing.
Examples of stereo configurations 2 x 4 + 2 (standard): 4 RA16 + 2 RAB1815 + 2 PLM6800 for each side or 4 RA16 + 2 RAB1815 + 1 LM24 + suitable amp units for each side 2x8+4:
8 RA16 + 4 RAB1815 + 4 PLM6800 for each side or 8 RA16 + 4 RAB1815 + 1 LM24 + suitable amp units for each side
2 x 2 + 1 (mini palco): 2 RA16 + 1 RAB1815 + 1 PLM6800 each side or 2 RA16 + 1 RAB1815 + 1 LM24 + suitable amp units for each side
2-WAY ENCLOSURE The heart of the PalcoPlus system is the two-way, line-source element RA16. This compact enclosure offers 1000 W of applicable continuous power per unit, in a package approximately the same size of a 6U outboard rack case. Whereas most modern line array elements of these dimensions use 6.5” woofers, the RA16 employs two 8”, purpose-built woofers with 2.5” voice coils, utilizing neodymium magnets. The high frequency section consists of a single custom-built compression driver with a titanium diaphragm, a 3” voice coil and 1.4” throat. The driver is coupled to an aluminum planar waveguide with its exit between the baffles of the two woofers, which are precisely angled to accompany the natural dispersion of the waveguide. The entire forward section of the enclosure, in fact, behaves as a horn above a certain frequency. Precisely tooled from birch plywood, this external waveguide serves to couple the outputs of adjacent elements into the cylindrical wavefronts characteristic to a line-source array.
RA16 Frequency Response: 70 Hz ÷ 20 kHz
An array of four RA16s exhibits precise 120° horizontal dispersion with a frequency response of 70 Hz ÷ 20 kHz (±3 dB). While most line array elements cannot be used effectively in very small numbers, the RA16’s design permits use of even only two elements clustered for small applications, though in this configuration it behaves not as a linear source, but as a highly directive point source cluster. Each unit can develop a maximum SPL of 130 dB, thus providing ample power and coverage even in small numbers.
Cross-over frequency: 800 Hz; 24 dB/oct Transducers LF: HF:
2 x 8”; 2.5” voice coil 1 x 1.4”-throat compression driver; 3” voice coil, titanium diaphragm
The cabinet is constructed entirely of 15 mm birch plywood finished with high-impact, chip-resistant paint. The coupling hardware is fully incorporated, and is made of aircraft-grade, nickel-chromium-molybdenum steel. The splay angle from one element to another is adjustable from 0° to 12°. The light weight of the enclosure and the clever system of coupling and splay angle adjustment permit the assembly of arrays with only two hands available.
Max Power Handling LF: HF:
800 W @ 8 Ohms 200 W @ 16 Ohms
Maximum SPL:
130 dB (@ 1m; single enclosure; half space)
Dispersion:
120° Horizontal Vertical coverage depends on array configuration
Dimensions:
W 527 x H 282 x D 440 mm;
Weight:
18 kg
Dual Neutrik Speakon® 4-pole connectors allow input from power amplifiers and a parallel link to a second RA16 element. One Montarbo PLM6800 can drive an array of four RA16 enclosures, otherwise each RA16 can be driven by a power amplifier that can deliver at least 800 W at 8 ohms for the woofers and 200 W at 16 ohms for the driver. A two channel amplifier capable of furnishing 1600 watts at 4 ohms per channel is suitable for driving two speakers.
Operating system requirements: Windows 2000® / Windows XP® or later, with .NET Framework 1.1. With updates available from Microsoft®, Windows 98® and Windows ME® can be made compatible with EASE Focus.
BUMPERS
SUB-BASS UNIT
EASE Focus - Aiming Software
PalcoPlus systems are supplied with a customized version of EASE Focus, preprogrammed with all physical and acoustic parameters of the components of the system. EASE Focus, a product of SDA GmbH, is an industry standard for coverage calculation and physical system configuration and simulation. It can be used to configure PalcoPlus systems starting from information provided by the user on venue layout, audience position, and number of enclosures available. This software allows the simulation of coverage in venues and the preparation of system configurations down to which suspension hole to use on the flying bumper, and all necessary output delays. EASE Focus is equally useful for making on site adjustments to pre-configured systems.
Two customized bumpers permit secure and simple flying or stacking of PalcoPlus arrays. No compromises have been permitted in the manufacture of these high-resistance-steel flying accessories. B1 is the larger bumper, certified for the suspension of up to sixteen RA16 enclosures. The smaller bumper, B2, is certified to fly arrays of up to eight RA16 enclosures. Each of these bumpers can be inverted to act as a base for stacked arrays, the B1 for up to six RA 16 units, and the B2 for up to four. Each bumper is outfitted to accept stacking feet, each can be stacked safely atop the RAB1815 sub unit or on the stage floor.
RAB1815 is designed to extend the frequency range of the PalcoPlus system down to 30 Hz. This innovative sub-bass unit offers a distinctive, dual-transducer configuration using one 18” woofer in a ported reflex configuration, and a second, 15” woofer loaded by a folded horn. The precise interaction of these two transducers permits the RAB1815 to radiate in a cardioid pattern from a single enclosure, with 15 dB attenuation at 180° from 40 Hz to 100 Hz, allowing much more bass reinforcement to be used for the public, even very close to the stage. Aside from creating a unidirectional polar characteristic, this design also provides the benefits of both bass reflex and folded horn systems: very deep bass, but with rapid response. The design also puts the actual cone movement of the two speakers in opposition on the same axis of the enclosure, assuring that the sub will not move. The two transducers are purpose-built for the RAB1815. They are constructed with neodymium magnets and 4” voice coils, and can boast an excursion of ±23 mm. Both woofers can handle up to 1600 W of continuous power, and the entire system is capable of delivering 136 dB SPL. The cabinet is made of 18-21 mm birch plywood with chip-resistant paint. The RAB1815 weighs less than 60 kg, and is built to act as a base for stacked arrays of RA16 enclosures. A single Neutrik 8-pole Speakon® connector provides simple and intuitive connection to the powered controller PLM6800 or to any other power amplifier, and helps to avoid mistaken connection to channels destined to the satellites during cabling. A single PLM6800 can drive two RAB1815 units, otherwise each RAB1815 can be driven by a two channel amplifier with a rated output of at least 1600 watts per channel at 4 ohms.
BUMPER - B1
RAB1815
Construction:
FE360 Structural Steel
Frequency Response: 30 Hz ÷ 120 Hz
Dimensions:
W 545 x H 90 x D 705 mm
Weight:
13 kg
Transducers:
Maximum load: 320 kg (flown) Maximum array: 16 RA16 elements (flown); 288 kg BUMPER - B2 Construction:
FE360 Structural Steel
Dimensions:
W 545 x H 90 x D 513 mm
Weight:
8.5 kg
Maximum load: 320 kg (flown) Maximum array: 8 RA16 elements (flown); 144 kg
1 x 18”; 4” voice coil 1 x 15”; 4” voice coil
Max Power Handling 18”: 1600 Watts @ 4 Ohms 15”: 1600 Watts @ 4 Ohms Maximum SPL:
136dB (@ 1m; half space)
Dispersion:
Cardioid polar pattern; -15 dB @ 180° (40 Hz - 100 Hz)
Dimensions:
W 506 x H 762 x D 748 mm;
Weight:
58 kg
LM24 boasts a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 100 dB, and the converters offer a dynamic range of 113 dB at the input and 112 dB at the output. The front panel is designed to take all the abuses of the road, being made entirely of stainless steel, and using etched lettering. Its switching power supply allows it to be used with any voltage from 100 to 250 V ac, at 50 or 60 Hz. LM24 comes preprogrammed with eight presets, specifically made for use in five different configurations of PalcoPlus, from small systems using one sub and two RA16s, to long-throw and short-throw parameters for large arrays. Balanced input and output connections are provided through Neutrik® XLR connectors, and two RJ45 connectors provide RS485FD serial interfaces for network control using the RAConTM software.
LM24 Power supply: SMPS 100-240 V ac – 50/60 Hz Inputs/outputs: balanced, max level +13 dBu Connectors:
4 x XLR3M (output) 2 x XLR3F (input) 2 x RJ45 (RS485FD)
DSP:
56 bit
ADC:
24 bit Dynamic Range 112 dB
DAC:
24 bit Dynamic Range 113 dB
S/N ratio:
>100 dB
Factory Presets: 8 User Presets:
8
Dimensions:
1U 19” rack x D 230 mm
Weight:
3 kg
POWERED CONTROLLER
DIGITAL CONTROLLER
The LM24, a 2-in/4-out loudspeaker management system, provides signal processing for the PalcoPlus system. AD/DA sigma-delta conversion is carried out with 24-bit quantization in order to maintain the highest audio quality, while a powerful 56-bit DSP provides all the functions of crossover, limiting, delay and equalization for the four output channels. A convenient backlit LCD display allows verification of system functions, and simple panel controls permit preset selection and local control of gain, level, delay and output muting.
PLM6800 combines all of the functions of the LM24 digital controller with a 4-channel, class D amplifier that can deliver up to 1700 W @ 4 ohms per channel. This state-of-the-art power amp features a switching-mode power supply with power factor correction, which can operate on mains voltages from 85 to 270 V ac (50/60 Hz). There are three separate power supply units – one for the DSP controller section, one for each pair of output sections – and a full suite of protection circuitry to safeguard the amp as well as the connected enclosures. The full-switching operation of the amplifier section provides for exceptional efficiency. The same state-of-the-art internal processor of the LM24 drives the amplifier section and provides all loudspeaker management functions: crossover, delay, limiting, and EQ. The PLM6800 incorporates all of the presets for the different configurations of the system. In addition to processing and amplification, PLM6800 incorporates an “intelligent wiring” system, which provides input and output routing and connector switching (both line in/out and power) according to the operating configuration selected in the processor. The PLM6800 power amplifier section features six Speakon® output connectors (two 8-pole and four 4-pole), allowing for rapid cabling of RA16 satellites and RAB1815 subs, and also permitting the connection of four full-range or one-way cabinets to the four, 4-pole Speakon® outputs. This multiple output wiring, which would otherwise seem risky to the satellites if erroneously wired, is made quite safe by the DSP section, which uses internal relays to connect only the correct contacts of the connectors appropriate to the selected preset, disconnecting the unnecessary and otherwise potentially dangerous connections. This same, “intelligent wiring” concept is applied to the four signal output connectors. These outputs can be set by the user as links or as processed outputs, thereby facilitating the wiring of multiple systems, and systems combining the PLM6800 with LM24s and/or traditional, unprocessed amplifiers. PLM6800 features an aluminum and stainless steel, etched panel and road-ready construction. Two RJ45 connectors provide RS485FD serial interfaces for network control using the RAConTM software.
PLM6800 Slew Rate (8 ohms):
30 V/μs (input filter bypassed)
S/R ratio (amplifier + processor): >100 dB (unweighted) Distortion:
<0.5% (THD, DIM, SMPTE)
Inputs:
Balanced to ground
Input impedance:
10 kohms
Total gain:
38 dB
Efficiency (4 ohms):
75% (typical)
Power factor:
better than 0.95
Output type:
Unbalanced to ground
Bandwidth (4 ohms):
5 Hz ÷ 25 kHz
Damping factor (20 Hz – 1000 Hz):
> 200
Power EIAJ, all channels driven, (1 kHz, 1% THD): 4 ohms 1500 W / 2000 W** 8 ohms 1100 W Dimensions:
2U 19” rack x D 526 mm
Weight:
11.5 kg
**Peak Power 10 ms Power supply: 85 ÷ 270 V ac (50/60 Hz) – 25A Max
Protection suite: • Thermal protection (over-temperature power limiting, thermal shutdown). • Short-circuit / overload output protection. • Clip limiter, permanent signal limiter, high frequency protection. • Mains overvoltage tolerance up to 400 V ac.
USB INTERFACE
This compact, USB-powered interface permits the control and monitoring of up to eight LM24 processors (or PLM6800), using a single USB port of the controlling computer. Data connection is provided by a single RJ45 connector – a single CAT5 cable is run up to 100 m to the first processor and further processors are connected in series, simplifying cable runs from the computer to the amp racks. The network connection between the LD24 and the processors is through a standard RS485FD interface using Montarbo’s proprietary protocol.
Dimensions:
W 73 x H 45 x D 22 mm
Interfaces:
1 x USB-B 1 x RJ45
Maximum network cable length:
100 m (CAT5)
SOFTWARE
Maximum network size: 8 x LM 24 or 8 x PLM6800
With a single computer and one LD24, it is possible to control and monitor a network of up to eight LM24 processors (or up to eight PLM6800). A straightforward visual interface provides simplified setup of even very large PalcoPlus systems. It simply requires the choice of a configuration from the bank of presets, and the selection of the elements of the system that each processor will control. From there, each preset can be modified to suit the application, using complete control of delay on the output channels, system EQ, output levels for each channel, and input gain adjustments. Each processor has a ten-band, fully parametric equalizer with ±12 dB of boost/cut and variable ‘Q’ on each filter, all of which may be set at any frequency from 10 Hz to 18 kHz. Delay control for each pair of output channels permits alignment adjustment in 1 ms steps, up to 310 ms (more than 100 m). All monitoring is provided in both numerical data and on familiar graphic readouts, while the visual control interface offers familiar panel-style knobs and sliders for verification at a glance. The program perfectly adjusts the output signals to the amplifiers based on information entered regarding the amplifiers’ input sensitivity and output power, or output power and gain. Personalized settings can be saved in the user preset banks of the connected LM24s (or PLM6800s), and saved as files to the user’s computer for rapid sharing or communication of system configurations.
RACon Software Minimum hardware requirements Operating system:
Windows® 98 SE or superior
Processor:
Pentium® III 750 MHz or superior
Graphics card resolution: 1024 x 768 - 16M colors RAM:
64 MB
Free hardrive space:
10 MB
DIAGRAMS
LD24
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
DIAGRAMS
CKPP - Cabling kit (4 x 15mt - 4 x 10mt - 4 x 0,5mt)
Set of 4 anti-slip feet for B1 and B2 suspension frames
Protective cover for RA16
Protective cover for RAB1815
Flight case for 2 and for 4 RA16 (available on demand)
PALCOPLUS is designed and manufactured in Italy by 40057 Cadriano - Bologna (Italy) • Phone: +39 051 766437 • Fax: +39 051 765226 mail@montarbo.com • www.montarbo.com • www.palcoplus.com The contents of this publication are ©2009 by Elettronica Montarbo srl. The information contained in this catalogue has been carefully drawn up and checked, however no responsibilities will be assumed for any inexactitude. Technical data and appearance of products are subject to change without prior notice. Speakon is a trademark of Neutrik. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft. Pentium is a trademark of Intel. All trademarks are property of their respective owners
April 2009