Subcompact Line Arrays

Well, we have officially reached the point where everyone THINKS they need a line array, whether it is appropriate to the venue or not. That being said, the ability to control dispersion can make a small array perfect for house of worship applications. The problem comes in when the church wants a line array, and it actually is the right choice, but they want something small and inconspicuous. Which is where “subcompacts” come into the picture.

For the purposes of a Buyers’ Guide like this one, the problem is that there is no real defined standard for what constitutes a subcompact system. We made the call that we would allow individual manufacturers to define what a subcompact meant to them. Then when we got everything in, we looked at the results and killed any entry with a LF driver bigger than 10 inches. Which still leaves a pretty wide range. The single exception here is the Peavey Versarray, which has a 12-inch driver, but only has one — so in terms of physical size — it is actually smaller than some units with smaller drivers.

If you are looking for a physically small system that has some of the attributes of a full-size line array, take a gander at the following pages for a look at what’s out there. But remember, in the wrong hands, a line array can be almost a weapon. Choose wisely, Grasshopper.

Here is a list of products in this month's Buyers Guide: