SPOKANE, WA — Meyer Sound recently began shipping the self-powered JM-1P arrayable loudspeaker. One of the first shipments of these point source systems went to Eugene, Ore.-based Relles Sound, Inc., and the gear was quickly deployed for two recent music events.
“We first used the JM-1P for the Spokane Symphony at the Comstock Park and Liberty Lake Park, both well suited for testing the capabilities of the JM-1P, and had a very positive experience,” said George Relles, owner of Relles Sound.
“The Liberty Lake Park was a shallow bowl with about 3,000 people, and with no infrastructure to fly a line array. The horizontal coverage needed was also wider than what’s possible with most line array speakers. And of course, we wanted a system that also carried sonic clarity and was easy to set up.”
The new Meyer Sound JM-1P arrayable loudspeaker builds on more than 30 years of experience in horn research and array design. Using the company’s trapezoidal cabinet and REM ribbon emulation manifold, the JM-1P’s design allow for tight-packed horizontal and vertical arrays.
In the horizontal configuration, an array of three JM-1P loudspeakers provides 60-degree by 60-degree coverage. An array of four JM-1P loudspeakers provides 80-degree by 60-degree coverage.
“In the Liberty Lake Park, I used five JM-1Ps per side, which gave me the 100 degrees of coverage needed,” said Relles. “Its low frequency range extended much lower than my other point source speakers. I decided not to high-pass the JM-1Ps and let them run full range, and it worked beautifully.”
For the symphony’s show at the 10,000-capacity Comstock Park, Relles used five JM-1P loudspeakers each side, supported by an additional MSL-4 loudspeaker. UPA-1P loudspeakers were used as delay. “It was great to see that the JM-1P could throw a distance of 200 feet to the delay speakers, and showed more gain before feedback than other systems.”
Relles said the JM-1P’s captive QuickFly rigging features have eased and accelerated system setup. “It only took about five minutes on each side to get the JM-1P speakers up, rigged, and wheels clamped. And after the shows, Don Nelson, the general manager of the Spokane Symphony told me that the horizontal coverage was much smoother than in years past,” Relles added.
“I have been doing these shows for 25 years now and had been requesting a new point source box like the JM-1P, with the efficiency from the coupling of these speakers without forgoing the smoothness of coverage,” Relles said. “I am sure that I will find considerable use for the JM-1Ps both as a stand alone system and as outfill coverage for our MICA and MILO line array loudspeakers.”
For more information, please visit www.meyersound.com.
