Renkus-Heinz finally entered the arena of the line array with its new PowerNet Line Array system - the first of a range which the company says aims to 'bring line array technology to a much wider market'. Targeted at small-to-mid sized touring companies and installations, the system is compact and lightweight, with very wide horizontal dispersion. It falls within R-H's PN/PNX (PowerNet) series, and is dubbed the 102/LA. The bi-amplified PNX102/LA (self-powered, but otherwise identical) uses two 10" woofers, and two 1" HF drivers mounted behind R-H's new Isophasic Plane Wave Generator (patent pending). The IPWG is unlike any previous Renkus-Heinz technology, say the company, achieving exceptional virtual line source capabilities by creating a tight HF beam without the need for a horn or waveguide. The IPWG enables the 102/LA, with its compact size (just 61cm wide), to deliver full line array performance benefits - light weight (32kg per cabinet) simple rigging, precise directivity (150° horizontally) and high articulacy.
Renkus-Heinz also announced that its flagship ST/STX system is now in full production. (The difference between the two models is power: ST is an integrated powered system, while STX is passive.) The range is described as the culmination of 20 years of R&D and incorporates a number of proprietary technologies. More importantly, however, ST-STX is the first range of pro loudspeakers to include a CobraNet input option, allowing audio signal transmission over Cat-5 cabling, with the advantages of improved signal quality, minimal data loss and precise remote control over long distances. It also makes it networkable with devices from other CobraNet licensees.
