European Debut for Studiomaster High Power, Light Weight Premium SR Cabs

Studiomaster is showing its new Venture Series high performance ultra-compact professional reinforcement cabinets for the first time in Europe at Prolight+Sound 2014.

Available in both active and passive variants, Venture is Studiomaster’s premier foray into the premium quality / compact PA product class, and represents outstanding performance and value for money. Director of R&D, Paul Belcher, states, “The performance and quality of the Venture Series matches any 1000 watt compact PA speaker currently available, and at a very competitive price. We engaged in a long testing programme in developing the final design, and the resultant performance of the range has far exceeded our original design objectives. The sound quality is exceptional for such a compact and light weight cabinet.”

Venture comprises 12 inch and 15 inch 2-way cabinets, and a matched 18 inch sub; available in both 1000 watt active and passive models. The premium compact speaker series is performance and cost competitive with the best comparable product on the market, and offers best-in-class power to weight specifications; with the 12 and 15 inch active cabinets weighing just 18 and 21.5 kg, respectively.

The industrial grade 9-ply cabinets are internally braced and finished in wear-resistant black textured coating, with a steel front grille. A 60° rear bevel enables the 12 and 15 inch cabinets to also be used as stage monitors. The Class-D bi-amplified active cabs deliver a total of 600 watts rms power to the bass and HF drivers, with a peak system power rating of 1000 watts. All principal components – drivers, cabinet and integrated electronics – were designed specifically and matched meticulously for the Venture project. The resultant performance and sound quality has exceeded design expectations, with a smooth frequency response and highly accurate crossover points, and the ability to deliver that sound quality at high SPLs, in excess of 130dB.

A high efficiency switch-mode power supply provides ample reserve power for the class D amplifiers, ensuring their optimum performance; the amplifiers and power supply are a high efficiency design requiring no cooling fans. Neodymium magnets are used in all drivers in the active cabinets and the 1 inch HF compression drivers feature a light alloy diaphragm and copper clad aluminium voice coil.

The active cabinets feature a 2-channel rear panel mixer section; one channel with balanced XLR mic and ¼ inch jack line inputs and the other with balanced XLR and stereo phono line level inputs. An XLR LINK line level output enables connection of additional speaker cabinets. There are master level and channel level controls, and green power-on and red peak LEDs. The 18SA sub features a balanced XLR input, a 100Hz hi pass filtered XLR output (to the mid/high cab) and XLR LINK output. Pole mount and M10 hanging fixings, and fully recessed professional carry handles are all included. The passive cabinets feature the same high quality construction and sound performance characteristics, and are rated at 800 watts program and 1600 watts peak power handling. Connectivity is with Speakon NL4  connectors throughout.

“As a premium range product, the Venture cabs are a perfect system match for our new Horizon mixer range,” adds Belcher. “The availability of both the speakers and the mixers in powered and passive models offers a wide range of system options for professional quality, small and medium scale fixed and portable reinforcement systems for all manner of applications.”

Studiomaster Horizon 2012 portable powered mixer

Two other major new Studiomaster product series at Prolight+Sound are the final production versions of the Horizon powered and passive professional portable mixers and the unique Starlight combined stage-sound and lighting cabinets. The Starlight sound and lighting cabinet is a world first, fully integrating FOH, monitor sound and stage lighting, mixing and amplification, within a pair of portable trapezoidal PA cabinets. It provides a straight out of the plug-and-play performance solution for small scale touring artists, or an instant sound and light installation for small venues or temporary performance spaces; one that delivers substantial cost and man hour savings.

Comprising two stand or pole mountable, 2-way 12 inch or 15 inch cabinets, Starlight combines 250 watt self powered FOH reinforcement and a 50 watt powered side mounted monitor driver within each cabinet. Each cabinet features a rear panel mounted 2-channel mixer with one balanced XLR mic and line inputs, and one with balanced XLR and stereo phono inputs. There is a 3-band EQ and a separate monitor level control and input for a foldback signal from a mixing console. Each cabinet also incorporates a recessed side slot housing six high-power LEDs with dispersion lenses. The in-built lighting controller features 13 programs, including seven static colours, fade to colour change, sound to light; brightness and speed are also adjustable. The Starlight cabinets are supplied as matched pairs, with the LEDs and monitors angled inward towards the performers’ stage position.