For the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy, hosting a reception at the Museo for many distinguished foreign visitors, the challenge was to provide a sound reinforcement for speech and acoustic music, which would service a 70-metre long central space as well as the side chambers.
The solution was the revolutionary wireless So Cube system from Vieta. 16 cubes were deployed, the contents of Vieta's standard flight-case package. For such a large space, two transmitters were required, each covering a 50m range using a standard antenna, both on the same frequency and taking signals from the Left and Right outputs of Vieta's VDC-1 controller.
The system did not use any sub-bass components, as the musical programme featured traditional Spanish acoustic guitarists. Indeed, the guitarists switched off their own stage monitor in favour of using a So Cube. The PA company servicing the event, Barcelona-based Electric So, was impressed by several advantages of the So Cube system design.
Completely wireless and offering omni-directional sound from each cube, the system required no delays and delivered very high intelligibility with virtually no reflections. In the various side chambers that adjoin the Museo's function space, the level from each Cube could be individually and precisely controlled. The project required fewer So Cubes than conventional speakers, and there was a pleasing absence of cable runs.
The So Cube is the core of the So Line system. Within a compact (140mm footprint, 147mm high), aluminium moulding with white trim, there is a 3" omni-directional, eight ohm, dual-cone driver, a Garwood-specified radio receiver and a 12W RMS amplifier. The driver points down onto a dispersion moulding and is protected by a steel grill so the unit can be handled without damage to the driver. As supplied, the receiver can be switch-tuned to one of 16 frequencies in the 794 to 806 MHz band. Other frequency bands are optionally available. The Cube can be battery-powered using an 8-hour battery module which fits under the Cube, adding 44mm height.
The So Transmitter (So-1101) has been specified by Garwood, operates on the 794 to 806 MHz band, and transmits a mono signal on one of 16 selectable frequencies. Up to eight So-1101s may be run together on separate frequencies without interference.
(Chris Henry)
